Manila, May 13 -- The Filipino people have spoken-and they have done so decisively.

Yesterday, I joined millions of our countrymen in casting my vote in the midterm elections. As a 61-year-old, I experienced priority voting for the first time-a small privilege extended to seniors like me so we can continue fulfilling our civic duty.

As someone who has witnessed administrations come and go for six decades, I've lived through both the optimism of newly elected officials and the frustration that often follows unmet promises or when corruption steals progress from us all.

But through it all, I've seen how the Filipino spirit, despite all odds, has consistently remained hopeful-and this election was no different.

While candidates sang the ...