Comelec: Strong voice of Millennials, Gen Zs heard in Eleksyon 2025

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia on Saturday said Eleksyon 2025 was a defining moment for millennials and Gen Zs in showing the strength of their voice towards making a difference in the country's future.

In his speech at the proclamation of the winners of this year's senatorial elections in Manila, Garcia said Eleksyon 2025 was proof that more Filipinos were becoming more aware of the power of their vote, but noted that this was especially evident among young voters.

"At sa hanay ng mga bumoto, namukod-tangi ang lakas ng tinig ng kabataan. Ang Millennials at Gen Zs, na madalas na napagkakamalang tahimik o abala sa sarili nilang mundo, ay buong-giting na nakisangkot, nakibahagi at tumindig para sa ating kinabukasan. Hindi na sila maaaring paratangan o pagbintangan na nananatili sa gilid ng kasaysayan," Garcia said.

(And among those who voted, the voice of the youth stood out. The millennials and Gen Zs—who are often seen as quiet or wrapped up in their own world—took part in the polls and took a stand for our future. They can no longer be accused of staying at the fringes of history.)

"Nakita natin na sila na mismo ang humahabi ng ating kasaysayan, tangan ang kanilang mga balota na tila ba nagsasabing, 'Narito kami, kabahagi sa paghubog ng ngayon at katuwang sa paglatag ng bukas,'" Garcia said.

(We witnessed that they were also part of our history, with ballots in hand and as if they were saying, 'We are here, part of forming today and a partner in laying down the foundation of our future.)

Data from GMA Integrated News Research showed that 63% of the voting population and 68% of registered voters in Eleksyon 2025 were comprised of millennials and Gen Zs.

As of January 23, 2025, GMA Integrated News Research found that out of the 69,673,655 registered voters:

• 25.94 million are Millennials, born in the period from 1981 to 1996, making up 34.15% of the voting-age population
• 21.87 million are Gen Z, born in the period from 1997 to 2007, making up 28.79% of the voting-age population
• 17.64 million are Gen X, born in the period from 1965 to 1980, making up 23.22% of the voting-age population
• 10.50 million are from the Baby Boom and Silent Generations, born in the 1946–1964 and 1928–1945 periods respectively, making up 13.83% of the voting-age population

Challenges

Garcia meanwhile acknowledged the challenges that surfaced during the 2025 national and local elections.

In his speech, Garcia said these included technical difficulties with the vote counting machines, delays in the transmission of election results from precincts, and confusion due to the correction of votes obtained from the servers.

"Ang mga ito ay pinalala ng malisyosong lumalabas na misinformation, disinformation at fake news sa ating social media," he said.

(These are exacerbated by the malicious misinformation, disinformation, and fake news that appear on social media.)

Garcia said that while the Comelec tried to address the issues, these should be studied further, prepared for, and thoroughly explained.

On a positive note, Garcia said no precinct had experienced a failure of elections.

The Comelec chair also slammed incidents of vote buying, which he said tramples on the dignity of citizens and is an outright exploitation of their poverty.

"Hindi ito simpleng paglabag sa batas. Ito'y pagnanakaw sa kanilang kalayaang pumili at paghamak sa karapatang humubog ng sarili nilang kinabukasan."

(This is not simply a violation of the law. It is a theft of their freedom of choice and a disregard for the right to shape their own future.)

Garcia however clarified that reports of vote buying do not reflect the totality of the outcome of the elections.

"Ang bawat insidente ay itinuturing naming mahalagang aral. Hindi ito mga batikos kundi paalala na patuloy na pagwasto at pagrereporma ng mga regulasyon, at higit pang pagsasa-ayos ng ating halalan," he said.

(We consider each incident as an important lesson. These are not criticisms but reminders to continue correcting and reforming regulations, and to further improve our elections.) — VDV/VBL, GMA Integrated News

For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.