Social Media will be a Game Changer in 2019 Philippine Elections

In a PTV News report, a Philippine digital strategy firm cites InAsia blog piece, “Social Media: A Game Changer in Philippines Elections,” written by former deputy country representative Maria Isabel T. Buenaobra. As the Philippine 2019 mid-term elections draw near, the analytics firm, David and Golyat, has advised social media users and the general public to be more vigilant and deciphering of the veracity of information shared over social media.

According to the Asia Foundation, social media was a game-changer in the2016 elections, noting that it sparked political discourse never before seen in the country’s election history.
 
Maribel Buenaobra, the Foundation’s then-deputy country representative to the Philippines, wrote in May 2016 that social media had helped highlight the issues that needed to be addressed by the candidates, propelling powerful online campaigns as a result. 
 
“While social media has changed the campaign strategies, it is not the only factor that will determine the election results. Surveys remain influential, particularly for the undecided voters who may rely on results of pre-election polls and succumb to the bandwagon effect,” she wrote.