Filipinos call on elected officials to fulfill campaign promises

Filipinos are calling on the over 18,000 elected officials who are set to officially assume their posts on Monday, June 30, 2025, to fulfill the promises they made while campaigning earlier this year.

According to University of the Philippines National College of Public Administrative and Governance (UP NCPAG) professor and former dean Maria Fe Mendoza, the public should take government officials into account.

“The 31% youth vote parang spelled the difference. May pag-asa pala tayo, kasi surprise ‘yun, diba, at ‘yun nga, despite the surveys before the elections, ang napunta sa magic five ay ‘yung mga hindi natin inaasahan,” she said in a report by Raffy Tima on GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday.

(We have hope, because it was a surprise that despite the surveys before the elections, those who entered the magic five are those we did not expect.)

The top five senators in the May elections were Senators Christopher “Bong” Go, Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Erwin Tulfo, and Francis Pangilinan.

Aquino and Pangilinan had been outside the top five or even top 12 in the polls that were taken leading up to the election.

There are 18,255 officials set to take office on Monday, majority of whom are set to have a three-year term save for the 12 senators who will serve for the next six years.

This is 155 more than those elected in the previous polls, given the establishment of a new province and eight new municipalities.

GMA Integrated News asked voters what they expect from the officials:

“Kung ano ‘yung nagawa nung nakaraan, previous na nakaupo, kung maganda na ‘yung ginagawa niya, dapat lamangan niya para ang mga tao, okay ang kabuhayan,” said one man.

(What was done by the previous administration, if it was good, the next administration should surpass that so that livelihood would be okay).

“Gawin nila ‘yung best nila tsaka ‘yung sa plataporma nila, ‘yung magagandang mga plano nila eh gawin nila ngayon, tuparin nila ngayon,” said a client at a barbershop.

(They should do their best and their platforms, the good plans they have, they should fulfill that now.)

“‘Yung mga pangako nila, dapat tuparin nila ‘yun. Kung hindi naman natupad eh para saan pa po ‘yung pag-e-elect nila?” the barber said.

(They should fulfill their promises. If not, what were they elected for?)

“‘Wag puro pangako kasi ‘pag sa kampanya malakas sila, pinapasok nila ‘yung mga eskinita, pero ‘pag nanalo na, hindi nila mabisita kung sino ‘yung mga nasa laylayan ng lipunan,” said another man.

(They shouldn't be full of promises because during the campaign, they would reach even the alleys but when they win, they cannot even visit those in the margins.)

“Inaasahan ko sana magkaroon ng trabaho ‘yung mga nahihirapang maghanap ng trabaho, lalo na ‘yung mga katulad ko na 21 years old, tsaka ‘yung ano rin po, ‘yung pagbaba ng presyo ng bilihin,” said a street vendor.

(I am hoping that there would be jobs for those having difficulties to secure employment, especially those like me who are 21 years old, along with the lower prices of goods.) — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA Integrated News

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