Newsletter: “Ilaw ng Tahanan” Trends on Twitter during the Second #PiliPinasDebates2022

[THIS IS A PRESS RELEASE]

Manila, 4 April 2022 – Filipinos showed their support for their preferred presidential candidates by participating in the conversation on Twitter following the second COMELEC (@COMELEC) presidential debate. Continuous campaigning culminated in a lively political showdown yesterday and saw representation from 9 of 10 presidential candidates as they engaged in democratic debate, generating more than 1.3 million Tweets globally related to the debates (3 April).

The #PiliPinasDebates2022 hashtag became the #1 Twitter trending topic in the Philippines during the debate. The conversation peaked around 9:40 - 10:00 pm on Sunday, 3 April with almost 100,000 Tweets when Vice President Leni Robredo (@lenirobredo) made her closing statement “Itong darating na halalan, ang tatanglaw sa buong bayan ay ilaw ng tahanan.”

Filipinos on Twitter actively shared their opinions and reactions, spurring healthy conversations about the debate. Among the top hashtags from the debates were #Halalan2022, #PiliPinasDebates2022, and #TaraNaKayLeni (in alphabetical order).

There were numerous topics raised for the second COMELEC (@COMELEC) presidential debate, wherein Filipinos brought the debate onto Twitter. From their insights and opinions to lighthearted comments on what happened during the debate, here are some of the most engaged Tweets during the second #PilipinasDebates2022. 

Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/itsmackoy/status/1510559469365006340

Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/solana02617460/status/1510616915944763401

Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/IvanAtHome/status/1510608824390287362

Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/Renzo_Arceta/status/1510613716244787204

Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/paullim0314/status/1510605337975353344

Closely follow the elections with Twitter’s search prompt and two additional customised emojis.

In partnerships with COMELEC (@COMELEC) and VoteSAFEPilipinas, Twitter has made available an online search prompt to facilitate access to authoritative sources of information on voting in both Filipino and English languages. Searching for keywords associated with the Philippine General Election such as “NLE 2022,” “Vote Philippines,” and “General Elections” will give a notification that connects people to the latest credible election information.

Twitter also strongly encourages everyone to familiarise themselves with the Twitter Rules. If you see something that violates the Twitter Rules, report it. To report a Tweet, click the dropdown menu at the top of the Tweet. More information can be found here.

Twitter has also launched two additional election customised emojis:

Hashtags #NLE2022, #2022NLE, #BumotoKa, #Halalan2022, #Piniliay2022, #HIJAlalan2022, #PHVote, #PHVoteResults, and #WeDecide will activate a ballot box icon. It’s a universal symbol for elections, set in front of the Philippine flag, which represents the united hope of Filipinos for clean and safe elections. 

Hashtag #VoteSafePilipinas activates an emoji featuring the silhouette of a female who represents Inang Bayan or the Motherland, which takes inspiration from COMELEC’s Vote S.A.F.E Pilipinas campaign.

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