It’s officially election season in the Philippines, and aspiring politicians have already expressed their intentions and hopes to run for government positions—including *welp* social media personalities.
On October 1, the Philippines entered another election season as candidacy filing for the 2025 midterm elections kicked off. According to the Commission on Elections, a total of 18,280 seats are up for grabs for the local and national posts.
As of this writing, more than 17,000 candidates from all parts of the country have filed for their candidacy, with Comelec anticipating an influx of candidates in the remaining days of the filing period, which will be on October 8.
Among the aspirants who have declared their election bid are familiar to most of us, as several are celebrities-turned-politicians, while others are social media personalities, e.g., “influencers” and vloggers.
Read on to know some public figures who are gearing up to enter the political arena and vying for government positions both in the local and national polls.
Rosmar Tan
Content creator and entrepreneur Rosemarie Tan Pamulaklakin, famously known as Rosmar Tan, is one of many social media personalities who expressed her intentions to run for office in the 2025 midterm elections.
The social media personality, who filed her certificate of candidacy on October 1, is running for councilor in the first district of Manila with the tagline: “When no one cares, Rosmar cares.”
In an interview, Rosmar revealed the reason behind her decision to run as an independent candidate for councilor, saying: “Sa totoo lang, tulad ng lagi ko pong sinasabi, wala naman po akong balak tumakbo dahil dagdag sakit sa ulo, dagdag obligasyon, responsibilidad… pero kasi may nagpush po sa akin [na] ‘Tumakbo ka kasi kailangan ka ng tao; kailangan nila ng tunay na pagbabago. [To be honest, as I’ve said before, I didn’t have any plans [to enter politics] because it’s going to be a headache, an obligation, another responsibility… but something had pushed and told me [to] ‘Run [as a councilor] because people need you; they need real change.]”
This isn’t Rosmar’s first attempt to run for office. In the 2022 Manila local elections, the multimillionaire vlogger ran for councilor from Manila’s fourth district under PDP-Laban but lost the race.
Deo “Diwata” Balbuena
On the second day of filing, viral food stall vendor Deo Balbuena, also known as Diwata, made rounds on the internet when he filed his certificate of nomination and acceptance as the fourth nominee of the Vendors party list.
Diwata gained prominence in the first quarter of the year after his business, Diwata Pares, caught the attention of many Filipinos. The eat-all-you-can eatery offers unlimited soup, rice, classic beef pares, and barbecue, among others for an affordable price.
During his filing speech, Diwata shared that the Vendors party list is established to be the voice of every vendor in the country. It aims to push for laws and reforms that will ease the processing of permits for vendors, as well as give access to the support they need.
“We are here to uplift the life and become a voice for all the vendors across the Philippines,” Diwata said in Filipino. “We [vendors] should follow the law, but we should not make it hard for Filipino vendors to follow.”
“We should also help our vendors, especially those in the streets, to make sure that their goods won’t be confiscated without consideration because many of them only borrowed their capital,” the online personality added.
Marc Gamboa
Another content creator who is trying his luck in politics is political vlogger Marc Gamboa.
Known as the man behind the famous YouTube channel Models of Manila TV, Gamboa is running for Senate, with his main intentions to push for a law that would establish an office mandating them to monitor and fight fake news 24/7.
“Napakalaking problema po niyan. Sa ngayon po walang nagmo-monitor so ‘yan po ang isa sa mga unang gagawin natin. Magtatayo po tayo ng 24/7 na office kung saan pwedeng mag-report at isumbong ang mga fake news [That’s a big problem. Currently, there’s no one monitoring it so that’s one of the very first things that we will do. We will create an office where people may report fake news 24/7],” Gamboa said during an ambush interview.
Wilbert Tolentino
Beauty pageant veteran and content creator Wilbert Tolentino has also entered the political scene as he formalized his bid as the first nominee of the Ahon Mahirap party list.
Ahon Mahirap party list aims to uplift the lives of Filipinos, particularly those who are in the marginalized sectors, by implementing various initiatives and programs that will focus on financial literacy, economic empowerment for micro, small, and medium enterprises, and give access to basic social justice and government services.
When asked about what he has to offer should Ahon Mahirap win a seat in the House of Representatives, Tolentino assured that they will show and promote transparency.
“Bilang social media influencer, gagamitin ko ang platform ko para i-vlog ang lahat ng mga proyekto para alam [ng lahat] saan narating ang efforts ng Ahon Mahirap [As a social media influencer, I will use my platform to record and vlog all the projects so that Filipinos will know the efforts of Ahon Mahirap],” he said.
Tolentino is a former beauty pageant contestant, producer, and talent manager. He previously handled viral sensation online seller Daisy Cabantog, known as Madam Inutz, and host-comedian-turned-beauty-queen Herlene Budol.
Norris John Okamoto
Motorcycle vlogger Norris John Okamoto is also seeking a seat in the House of Representatives.
Okamoto is the first nominee of the Lingap party list or the Liga ng Nagkakaisang Mahihirap (League of the United Poor).
“Ang pangarap at gusto natin ay bigyan ng tulong ang ating mga kababayan, lalo na yung mga nasa laylayan,” said the motovlogger.
(“Our dream is to assist our fellow countrymen, especially those in the marginalized sector.”)
In his Facebook post, Okamoto assured that he and the Lingap party list will serve as the voice of indigent citizens in the House of Representatives to uplift their lives.
“Kami ay tumitindig upang bigyan ng boses ang mga walang boses at kapangyarihan ang mga walang kapangyarihan. Sa Liga ng Nagkakaisang Mahihirap, hindi lamang tayo nagkakaisa para sa iisang layunin, kundi para sa iisang adhikain: ang pag-ahon mula sa kahirapan [We stand up to give voice to our voiceless countrymen and power to those who are powerless. In the League of the United of the Poor, we are not only united for a common purpose, but we also have a common desire and aspiration: to rise out of and end poverty],” Okamoto wrote.
The vlogger has amassed over 300,000 subscribers on YouTube, with his content consisting of prank videos, motorcycle-related content, and even giving away motorcycles to his lucky viewers.
Eli San Fernando
Political vlogger Eli San Fernando is also giving the political arena a go after he filed for CONA, formally declaring his bid as the first nominee of the Kamanggawa party list.
Fernando, who is also the vice president of the National Federation of Labor, said that the party list advocates for an equal minimum salary by increasing wages among workers and abolishing the provincial rate system should they win in the 2025 midterm elections.
“Una, buwagin na ang walang kwentang provincial rate. Panahon na para ipantay ang sahod ng manggagawa [sa] NCR [National Capital Region], Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao. Pangalawa, kailangan itaas ang sahod ng mga manggagawa. Yung mismong DOLE [Department of Labor and Employment] na nagsasabi na kasya ang sahod, hindi namin pinaniniwalaan. Panahon na para itaas ang sahod ng manggagawa [First, we will abolish the nonsense provincial rate. It’s high time for the wages of workers to be equal [across the country]. Second, the wages of the workers must increase. DOLE itself has said that the minimum wage is enough and will suffice, but we don’t believe that. It’s time to increase the wage of the workers],” he announced after filing the CONA for the party list.
Willie Ong
Amid his announcement of his cancer diagnosis back in September, cardiologist and media personality Dr. Willie Ong filed his COC for senator through his wife Dr. Liza Ong, formalizing his bid in the 2025 midterm elections.
According to Ong’s lawyer Atty. Gilberto Lauengco, the doctor-vlogger is currently in Singapore for medical treatment and that he would be back in late November to kick off his “limited physical campaign” for the following month.
Lauengco also assured that Ong is “physically fit to perform the duties of a senator” despite his health condition.
“He’s doing fine… He’s fully confident [but also] well aware of his limitations… He knows and understands that his sickness is not something that will debilitate him enough to prevent him from doing that,” said Ong’s lawyer.
This isn’t Ong’s first attempt in the political arena. He also ran for the vice presidency in the 2022 national and local elections alongside then-presidential aspirant and former Mayor of Manila City, Isko Moreno.
Luis Manzano
Media personality Luis Manzano is now dipping his hands into politics as he filed for his COC for the 2025 midterm elections.
Manzano will run as a candidate for vice governor in Batangas alongside his mother, former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Vilma Santos-Recto, who formally declared her intention to run as the province’s governor.
Aside from Manzano, Santos-Recto’s son Ryan Recto is also joining politics as he seeks a congressional seat to represent the sixth district of Batangas.
In his speech, Manzano assured that he will serve his fellow Batangueño wholeheartedly and will continue to assist those in need.
“We all have an obligation to serve. In what capacity, it all depends kung ano ang nilatag sa’yo ng tadhana [of what destiny has in store for you],” Manzano said. “Pero naniniwala ako na kapag binigyan ka ng buhay ng Maykapal, may obligasyon kang tumulong sa kapwa mo. Pwede ka magpasaya, pwede kang tumulong sa telebisyon. Pero ang tinadhana sa akin na nakita ko kung paano nabago ang buhay ng lalawigan ng Batangas dahil sa aking mommy. [We all must serve. In what capacity, it all depends on what destiny has in store for you. But I believe that when God gives you life, you must help other people. You can make them happy [and] help them on television. But what was destined for me was that I witnessed how lives were changed here in the Batangas province because of my mother.]”
Celebrities and social media personalities turned politicians are a recurring theme in the Philippine political scene. In fact, this election season, we’ve seen a notable influx of public figures from the entertainment industry and social media entering politics.
Marco Gumabao
Last on our “celebrities-turned-politicians” list is no other than actor and model Marco Gumabao.
Gumabao formalized his bid for congressman in the fourth district of Camarines Sur after filing his COC on October 1. He is part of the Team One CamSur ticket led by Camarines Sur Governor Luigi Villafuerte, boyfriend of Yassi Pressman.
View this post on Instagram
While this is Gumabao’s first foray into politics, the actor comes from a family with a political background. His father, actor Dennis Roldan, served as a councilor and congressman of the third district in Quezon City. However, Roldan is now serving a life sentence after being found guilty of a 2005 kidnapping.
After filing his COC, Gumabao took to his Instagram to address the “stigma against actors running for politics,” stating that he has sufficient educational background to run for office, as well as he’s committed to helping other people and uplifting their lives.
“At a young age, I was exposed to public service already because I have family members who were public servants before. It has always been in my heart to use my platform to help people,” Gumabao wrote.
“I’m not here to say that I’m the smartest or I know it all, but one thing is for sure, my work ethic is something I’m very proud of. Masipag ako lalo na pag gusto ko ang ginagawa ko [I work hard, especially if I like what I do]. Maayos ako makitungo sa tao [I interact with people very well], and above all, I genuinely wanna help,” he continued.
This phenomenon begs the question: what qualifications do they even have to run for public office? Should they win, what are they going to do? Make content videos or make some real changes for the country?
But, most importantly, why on Earth are we not strict when it comes to the qualifications for public servant positions? Do these people even know the legislative process?
Now, while we can’t do anything about those who wish to run for office in the upcoming 2025 midterm elections, there’s one thing that we can do to create real change, and that is to make informed choices.
As best said by actress Jodi Sta. Maria: “We may not have control over who runs for public office, but our strength lies in wisely choosing those deserving of our trust. Make informed choices.”
So, let us do our part and be active, informed voters because after all, making smart and informed decisions will enable real change for our country. Periodt.
Other POP! stories you might like:
Andrea Brillantes draws ire for alleged ‘celebrity privilege’ at Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Guts’ concert
Robi Domingo’s birthday wish for a child prompts discussions on pressure women face
Arshie Larga reminds fellow content creators about wielding influence during election season
[Commentary] It’s time to end stereotypes and toxic masculinity in clothing choices
Conspiracy theory about Beyoncé’s alleged involvement in celebrity deaths causes a stir online
