The Philippines is an interesting test case for studying the interplay between consensusbuilding and political polarization. Filipinos participate in the political discourse and want their voices to be heard on the ballot. Over the
last three presidential elections in the Philippines, voter turnout has continuously risen to historical
peaks, both in percentages and in actual numbers. The 2010, 2016, and 2022 election cycles had voter turnouts of 75.34% (38.1 M), 81.95% (48.5 M), and 84.4% (55.5 M), respectively. However, many observers point to growing evidence that the political discourse in the Philippines has spilled over to the online forum. Despite having less than 75% of internet penetration over the entire population. Filipinos spend almost four hours a day on social media, the most of any country in the world. Social media platforms, particularly Twitter, have allowed Filipinos not only to express their opinions but also to easily have access to those of their online friends and extended network. The unintended consequence of the increased social media usage rate is the rise in political polarization among the population.