After success in popularity on social media platforms, several content creators are now venturing into politics as they vie for seats in the 2025 national and local elections.
With a total of 18,820 elective posts up for grabs — 12 Senate seats, 63 seats for party-list representatives, and 254 seats in the House of Representatives, many social media personalities expressed intent to seek public office post.
Here’s a rundown of content creator aspirants who have filed their certificates of candidacy for the 2025 midterm elections so far:
Rosemarie “Rosmar” Tan Pamulaklakin
Rosemarie Tan Pamulaklakin, popularly known as “Rosmar” online, is vying for the position of councilor in Manila’s first district.
With 21.1 million TikTok followers, 1.07 million YouTube subscribers, and 4.7 million Facebook followers, Rosmar initially gained fame for selling beauty products and posting quirky content on TikTok.
Recently, she went viral for launching her own version of the hit reality show “Pinoy Big Brother,” calling it “R Big Sister.”
Rosmar explained that she was encouraged by people who believed she could create real change and help more if elected.
Running independently with the tagline “When no one cares, Rosmar cares,” she shared her reasons for joining the race: “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 ‘tumakbo ka, kasi kailangan ka ng tao, kailangan nila ng tunay na pagbabago.'”
This is her second attempt to run for office. During her first attempt, Rosmar said she was pregnant and could not campaign effectively.
READ: ‘Lord, patawad’: Why influencer Rosmar’s Manila councilor bid is gaining buzz
Deo “Diwata Pares” Balbuena
Deo Balbuena or “Diwata” is representing the Vendor’s Party-list as the fourth nominee.
“Nandito kami ngayon para maging boses sa lahat po ng mga vendors para mag tulong-tulong kami para maiangat ang mga vendors,” he said during his filing speech.
Diwata gained prominence during the first quarter of the year for his “Diwata Pares Overload,” an eat-all-you-can food business in Pasay that offers classic pares, chicken, and barbeque, among many others.
He currently has 661,000 followers on TikTok and 79,300 subscribers on YouTube.
As a vendor who faced challenges with permits and constant police monitoring due to his restaurant’s location, Diwata believes that every vendor deserves representation and a voice to advocate for their rights.
READ: Diwata as fourth nominee a winning strategy for ‘trapos,’ Pinoys online say
Willie “Doc Willie” Ong
Willie “Doc Willie” Ong is running for a Senate seat despite battling sarcoma, a malignant tumor in his abdomen.
Doc Willie has been admired for his medical advice content on YouTube, where he garnered a total of 9.83 million subscribers.
He also posts medical content on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, where he amassed a total of 1.2 million, 1.1 million, and 17 million followers, respectively.
This isn’t Ong’s first foray into politics. He previously ran for vice-president, alongside former Manila mayor Isko Moreno, in the 2022 national elections. He also tried to win a Senate seat in 2016.
Mark Gamboa “Models of Manila TV”
Mark Gamboa, a political vlogger and handler of Models of Manila TV on YouTube, is vying for one of the 12 senatorial seats with the tagline, “Kay Mark Gamboa, ang buhay gaganda.”
Gamboa currently boasts 232,000 subscribers on YouTube and 17,800 followers on TikTok. If elected, he plans to advocate for additional support for content creators, online sellers, and freelancers. He also aims to establish a 24/7 fake news monitoring office.
“Social media could be a great tool to promote everything that’s wonderful about the Philippines,” he said.
Gamboa is also pushing for the creation of a Philippine ICT high school and aims to promote local artists worldwide.
“Patunay na hindi mo kailangan na sobrang daming pera or laking pangalan para magwagi, kailangan lang pure intention mo at madadaanan lang sa social media at syempre sa sipag,” he added.
Eli San Fernando
Eli San Fernando, known as @sanfernandoeli on TikTok, is running as the first nominee for the Kamanggagawa party-list.
He creates political and news-related content, amassing over 832,100 followers on TikTok and 20,000 on Facebook.
If elected, San Fernando says the party-list will focus on eliminating the provincial salary rate, advocating for a standardized salary across the entire country, and pushing for higher worker wages.
“Hindi pa pa ba tayo sawa sa klase ng mga politika na meron tayo ngayon? Magkakapatid, mag-aama, mag-iina, pami-pamilya ang namumuno sa’tin. Mga partylist na pinamumunuan ng mga oligarko, ni hindi alam ang buhay ng ordinaryong Pilipino at mga manggagawa,” he said during his filing speech.
San Fernando also serves as the national vice president of the National Federation of Labor.
Last month, he faced a cyber libel complaint filed by Manila City Health Department chief physician Arnold “Poks” Pangan.
The complaint stems from a viral video in which he accused city officials of profiting from an ordinance requiring workers to pay for health certificates.
READ: Why a political content creator is running for public office
Norris John Okamoto
Norris John Okamoto is a motorcycle vlogger who is running to represent the Lingap party-list as its first nominee.
Posting motorcycle-related content online, he has gained over 321,500 followers on TikTok and 315,000 subscribers on Facebook.
Okamoto seeks to represent the poor and other marginalized groups should he win a seat.
“I will be their voice, and I will never give up,” he said.
The filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) in the Philippines commenced last October 1 and will last until October 8, 2024, which serves as the ceremonial opening for the May 2025 elections.
