Gen Z Filipinos demand honest, effective leaders over ‘trapos’

For Filipino Gen Zs, leadership is not about charisma or popularity but about governing with transparency and accountability.

This was the central finding of the inaugural Filipino Perspectives Digest, a new qualitative report released by public opinion research firm WR Numero.

The Digest, a companion to the Philippine Public Opinion Monitor, draws from six nationwide focus group discussions with 46 young Filipinos aged 18 to 25.

Participants came from Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

They said corruption, inefficiency, and political infighting remain major obstacles preventing access to quality education, affordable healthcare, and functioning social services.

Fixing schools, paying teachers fairly, and ensuring hospitals are funded were repeatedly cited as measures of genuine leadership.

“Without trustworthy leadership, those goals remain out of reach,” the report noted.

On political dynasties, many respondents expressed outright rejection, branding them self-serving and detrimental to fresh leadership.

A 21-year-old male participant from Camarines Sur said dynasties “need to be removed” and stressed, “We need people… other than political dynasties. It really needs to be erased.”

Others acknowledged potential benefits in continuity, arguing that families with proven service records could sustain progress.

One participant noted, “Political dynasties may have the same agenda as a family, that is in a way good as what the previous administration started will be sustained by the next in power as the reins are with the family.”

Despite these nuanced views, participants overwhelmingly agreed that celebrities and influencers should not enter politics.

They argued that popularity cannot replace competence, experience, or genuine public service.

On leadership unity, Gen Zs criticized the public rift between President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte.

A female participant from Metro Manila said leaders must avoid infighting: “They [should not be] fighting with each other. My ideal vice president and president give more focus and give importance to youth issues and teachers as well.”

Inclusion was also a recurring theme, with some calling for stronger rights and protections for LGBTQIA+ Filipinos.

In the Bangsamoro region, participants emphasized the need for deeper interfaith understanding while some advocated clearer separation of communities to protect religious freedom.

Across regions, participants consistently called for a politics based on service, unity, and inclusion rather than privilege and power.

The inaugural issue of the Filipino Perspectives Digest is available at tinyurl.com/wrn-fpd.