Social media powerhouse Facebook said that as of May 2, a total of 20.8 million people have engaged in election-related conversations on the platform, generating 229 million interactions.
Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte remains the most talked about presidential candidate with over 83% of people engaged in election-related conversations sharing their thoughts on the presidential candidate.
Of vice presidential candidates, Alan Peter Cayetano remains the most talked about candidate on the platform.
Transparency has maintained its position as the most talked about issue with over 84% of people currently sharing their thoughts on the subject matter.
Facebook defines election-related conversation as any post or comment that contains highly specific and targeted keywords or hashtags related to either the election itself, a candidate, a party, or a specific topic that might be playing a large role in the election itself.
Below is a snapshot of the conversations happening on Facebook from November 20, 2015 to May 2, 2016. These percentages are based on the number of Filipinos engaging in conversation related to presidential candidates, vice presidential candidates, as well as key issues. Facebook said the data is not indicative of intention to vote and does not measure sentiment.
Total Conversation, Global (November 20 to April 20):
People: 20.8 million
Interactions: 229 million
Total Conversation, Philippines only (November 20 to May 2):
People: 17.7 million
Interactions: 190 million
Top Broad Issues, Philippines only (November 20 to May 2):
Transparency: 84%
Economy: 41%
Education: 32%
Social Welfare: 32%
Defense and Foreign Policy: 24%
Health: 20%
Infrastructure: 10%
Environment: 4%
Trafficking: 2%
Top Presidential Candidates, Philippines only (November 20 to May 2):
Rodrigo Duterte: 83%
Mar Roxas: 57%
Grace Poe: 50%
Jejomar Binay: 33%
Miriam Defensor Santiago: 27%
Top VP candidates, Philippines only (January 8 to May 2):
Alan Cayetano: 42%
Leni Robredo: 37%
Ferdinand Marcos: 35%
Francis Escudero: 28%
Antonio Trillanes: 24%
Gregorio Honasan: 3%
