March 29, 2025 – Ahead of the May 2025 elections, the Philippine Misereor Partnership, Inc. (PMPI) is launching its 2025 electoral education campaign, Power of Purple (PoP), incorporating the development agenda of Philippine civil society organizations (CSOs). PoP covers at least 26 of the 66 senatorial hopefuls vying for 12 seats in the midterm elections.
PMPI’s PoP campaign aims to empower voters with critical information to guide their choices at the polls by researching the selected senatorial candidates’ background in terms of policy, programs, and advocacy on four key thematic areas:
✅ Climate Crisis & Disasters (Krisis sa Klima at mga Sakuna)
✅ Environmental Protection (Proteksyon sa Kalikasan)
✅ Livelihoods & Vulnerable Sectors (Kabuhayan at mga Bulnerableng Sektor)
✅ Agriculture & Fisheries (Pagsasaka at Pangingisda)
The selected candidates–14 from the Social Weather System’s December 2024 survey results and top 12 from the PMPI network’s January 2025 Survey–are also given the opportunity to share their platform and background on these three thematic areas through a survey.
PMPI National Coordinator Yolanda Rafol-Esguerra underscores the importance of elections as a platform for democracy and social change and therefore fact-based information and electoral educational materials are critical during this period.
“Kung mahusay ang pagkakagawa o pagkakalunsad ng isang eleksyon, ito ang isang pinakamalawak na plataporma para i-exercise ang ating demokratikong karapatan. Kailangan itong seryosohin—dapat pinag-iisipan ang boto. Sa pamamagitan ng mahusay na pamimili, magkakaroon tayo ng mas mabuting buhay para sa lahat,” Esguerra said during the launch of the campaign.
Since 2016, PMPI has been conducting the Power of Purple initiative to assess national candidates’ platforms in relation to its advocacy themes. The evaluation relied on publicly available and credible sources that can also be verified and fact-checked online, to ensure transparency. Candidates’ existing work on policies, programs, and advocacy are rated and ranked according to how close and how far are their positions to the advocacies of PMPI.
One of the challenges posed by this initiative is maintaining fair and objective evaluation while staying true to PMPI’s core values and principles.
“Even if we don’t personally favor a candidate, we must acknowledge their efforts if they have implemented programs or policies aligned with our thematic concerns. We are advocates, but we must always be objective and fair,” Esguerra added.
Beyond the Elections: Holding Leaders Accountable
PMPI stresses that voter engagement should not stop after casting a ballot.
Active civic participation is essential to ensuring that leaders fulfill their promises, according to PMPI Deputy Coordinator Candy Hidalgo.
“Hindi lahat natatapos sa eleksyon. Ang eleksyon ay dapat simula lang—after nito, ito ang totoong trabaho. Dapat sinusundan natin ang pinangako nila,” Hidalgo said.
PMPI also calls for greater public involvement at the local level, where policies and programs can create more immediate change.
“National-level policy advocacy takes time to bear fruit. But the impact of our actions and lobbying on the ground is more evident when it comes to social movements and policy reforms,” said Esguerra.
To ensure that as many Filipinos as possible benefit from the Power of Purple findings, PMPI will work closely with its network organizations, communities, and partner institutions, conducting voter education initiatives.
“We are hoping that the Power of Purple ratings and research findings will be a valuable tool for voters in choosing leaders who will champion policies that protect both people and the planet,” Esguerra said.
To access the Power of Purple research findings click here.
For further information, please contact:
PMPI National Secretariat
(02) 8961 5956: secretariat@pmpi.org.ph
