For the Philippines’ Gen Z, success equals survival: ‘nothing will change’

On humid afternoons in Balanga, a few hours west of Manila, 23-year-old communication arts major Aron Josh Santos often imagines life beyond the streets of his provincial hometown. He dreams of becoming a professional photographer – capturing images for the Philippines’ most prestigious publications, perhaps landing projects with the country’s leading creative agencies. But like many Gen Z Filipinos, Santos’ ambitions too often collide with the weight of economic reality in a country where opportunity and inequality are seldom in balance. For now, he remains in Balanga on the Bataan peninsula, some 120km (75 miles) from Manila. Graduation is within reach, and with it, he hopes, a move to the capital. But aspiration comes burdened with doubt. “At times, I feel pressure thinking that at 23, I’m still here in my province where opportunities are small – little to none,” Santos told This Week in Asia. Santos entered university during the pandemic years, after enduring an extra two years of senior high school introduced a little over a decade ago under the Philippines’ K-12 reforms. That lost time haunts him. “Given that we’ve had a two-year delay due to senior high school and we experienced the pandemic, I feel that I’m falling behind with what I should have achieved and experienced by now,” he said. Economic realities make that worry more acute. “It’s frustrating thinking about the next two, three or five years, where I might be employed in a company … but I know it would go nowhere. Our transport system still sucks, as well as our educational system.” Generation crisis Santos’ experience reflects a wider anxiety documented by the “Filipino Perspectives Digest”, a new report on Gen Z Filipinos from research firm WR Numero in partnership with youth-focused digital media outlet PhilStar Life. Through focus group discussions with 46 participants aged 18 to 25 from across the archipelago, the report sketched out a cohort of young Filipinos grappling with overlapping crises: pandemic isolation, climate shocks, rising living costs and endemic corruption. “While most young Filipinos remain hopeful for the country’s future, this hope is tempered by apprehension,” the report said. “Their aspirations align with the government’s vision of a stable, comfortable and peaceful life, but they understand that it requires systemic change to be fulfilled.” For many who took part, financial stability – not wealth or luxury – is the definition of success. One young man from Tawi-Tawi put it simply: “For me, I just want to get out of poverty. That’s it. It’s painful to see my parents struggle just so my siblings and I can go to school.” Santos himself frames success in everyday terms: “It’s having a comfortable house that does not get flooded or the roof ripped off during a storm, and when you have a car for transport so you can go where you need to go.” ‘Survive, not thrive’ Gen Z Filipinos were more attuned to systemic barriers thwarting their advancement than previous generations, said Petronilo Figueroa, a senior research associate at WR Numero. “They came of age during the pandemic, climate crises and economic downturns, all while plugged into social media platforms that constantly expose inequality, inflation and governance failures,” he told This Week in Asia. “Unlike older generations shaped by legacy media’s simpler narratives of ‘hard work pays off’, Gen Z’s media diet makes structural problems far more visible and harder to dismiss.” Their outlook was one of “survive, not thrive”, he added. With family responsibilities and rising living costs weighing heavily, Gen Z’s focus has shifted away from becoming rich to the basics of dignity and stability. Corruption is perhaps the most pressing frustration. A recent multibillion-peso scandal involving phantom flood-prevention infrastructure projects has prompted President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr to order the investigation of officials involved, as online scrutiny of politicians’ children flaunting their extravagant lifestyles has gone into overdrive. For young Filipinos who feel trapped in a stagnant economy, the spectacle deepens their resentment. No matter how hard I work, if the system remains the same, I don’t think anything will change Aron Josh Santos, Filipino student “To dream big and achieve bigger, among the most urgent changes young Filipinos want to see is good governance,” the WR Numero report said. Santos is clear-eyed about what needs to be done. “Our fishermen and farmers, they’re not lazy. They work hard every day to make ends meet and feed their families,” he said. “Filipinos abroad can wash dishes and still afford a decent life. I think a huge hindrance to success is the kind of government we have. No matter how hard I work, if the system remains the same, I don’t think anything will change.” Complicating matters is the enduring issue of political dynasties, long viewed as the backbone of Philippine politics. While some in Gen Z described them as symbols of a failed system, other young Filipinos said they saw them as indispensable patrons in places where government support was absent. “Many are weary of seeing the same names in power without meaningful change, but others still defend dynasties because continuity feels safer and more familiar,” Figueroa said, adding that this mix of pragmatism and idealism showed that the Philippines’ Gen Z was “not politically homogenous”. What sets this generation apart, Figueroa argues, is not just their precarity but their perspective: a generation forged by crisis yet unwilling to mistake stoicism for apathy. “They will inherit the social, economic and political challenges facing the country,” he said. For Santos, that inheritance feels immediate. His camera lens may one day frame the beauty of his country, but for now, his focus remains on something more elemental: the possibility of a life where hard work leads, if not to wealth, then at least to dignity.

For the Philippines’ Gen Z, success equals survival: ‘nothing will change’

Young Filipinos say they feel trapped by economic stagnation, endemic corruption and a lack of opportunity