An analysis of presidential candidates’ Facebook posts during the 2022 Philippine National Election

Abstract

The 2022 Philippine National Election witnessed a significant shift in political communications and campaigning strategies due to the utilization of Facebook. Utilizing the Facebook posts of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. and Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo during the election period, this study conducted a quantitative research approach employing content analysis to explore the candidates' use of the platform, including the prevalent themes, types of media employed, frequency of posting, and the level of engagement through comments, shares, and reactions. Results of this study showed that Robredo posted more than Marcos, yet both candidates posted majorly proliferated posts focusing on "Election Campaigns and Political Advertisements." The prevailing media formats used by both candidates are a combination of text and photos, aligning with digital literacy, especially in creating and communicating digital content through multimedia. Marcos introduced vlogs with text, and Robredo experimented with Text, Photos, Video, and Links. As the election date drew closer, both candidates intensified their Facebook posting activities, with Robredo maintaining a high posting frequency, surpassing Marcos in this regard. However, Marcos achieved greater user engagement, primarily attributable to disparities in their respective followership sizes. User engagement predominantly manifested as reactions, with distinct patterns observed in the frequency of comments and shares between the two candidates.