Leadership coach Anthony Pangilinan described Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan’s unexpected strong finish in the recent midterm elections as “a miracle,” citing limited campaign resources and persistent online disinformation.
Speaking at the launch of the mobile learning platform Gnowbe at Discovery Primea in Makati, Anthony recalled how his brother’s fifth-place finish in the Senate race came as a surprise even to the family.
“Well, I just have to reinforce what my brother Kiko said: It’s a miracle,” Anthony said. “It’s not something any one of us anticipated. He didn’t expect to be number five. Sabi nga niya, kahit mag-number 13 siya, at least he put up a good fight.”
Anthony shared that the Pangilinan family, composed of nine siblings, was hands-on throughout the campaign, conducting house-to-house visits and engaging in personal conversations with voters.
“Heart to heart talaga. Beyond online, posters, and billboards, talagang kinausap mo ’yung tao. You looked them in the eye, shook their hands,” he said.
Despite their efforts, Anthony admitted the campaign was one of the most difficult the family had faced. He noted that Senator Pangilinan ran without support from the administration, and that the Liberal Party had limited resources. “We were practically an independent candidate,” he said.
Online disinformation was another major challenge. According to Anthony, his brother was frequently targeted by trolls throughout the campaign. “When he saw he was number five, his first reaction was: ‘Oh my God, fake news. Disinformation again,’” he said.
Even after a pre-election survey placed the senator in the top five, the family remained skeptical. “We thought it was disinformation to make us complacent. But it turns out, it was accurate,” Anthony said.
As election day approached, anxiety grew. The family, Anthony said, leaned on their faith. “There’s wisdom in running scared. We’ve been joining elections since grade school, and our father’s principle was always: run scared. So we were scared—and when you’re scared, you turn to God.”
The family held weekly online prayer meetings throughout the campaign. “Every Monday night, the family gathered on Zoom to pray,” he said.
Anthony also shared personal experiences from the campaign trail. In one instance, he flew to Siquijor without knowing anyone on the ground. With a small team, he was eventually able to secure a meeting with local officials.
“Governor Jake told me, ‘Because you came here, you’ll be on my sample ballot,’” Anthony recalled. “Even just walking through the market made a difference. Word spreads fast.”
He acknowledged the impact of the youth vote, but also emphasized Senator Pangilinan’s long-standing record. “It was a combination of the young vote and time-tested partners. Kiko has been in public service for 40 years. He’s helped many,” he said, citing an example from Davao del Norte where the senator’s agricultural program “Sagip sa Kaagapay” helped improve farming productivity and lower hospital bills in the province.
Asked about the influence of celebrity endorsements, Anthony said these only mattered when paired with genuine conviction. “You could be a celebrity, but if there’s no heart, there’s no pull. Those who stood by Kiko were not just celebrities—they were principled,” he said.
The family was together when the partial and unofficial results came in. Anthony described the emotional atmosphere at his brother’s home. “My kids were the ones who said, ‘Dad, let’s go. Let’s count together.’ My daughter Ella was weeping. It was amazing,” he said.
Anthony was speaking at the Philippine launch of Gnowbe, a mobile-first microlearning platform now locally distributed by Mediaworks, a company he leads. The platform aims to revolutionize adult education by blending bite-sized content with instructional design.
Gnowbe was founded by So-Young Kang, who joined Pangilinan at the launch. The two leaders share a background in leadership training and a belief that personal growth requires more than just one-off seminars.
“We cannot transform lives by just giving a keynote speech,” Kang said. “True learning requires reflection, participation and action.”
Built for mobile and powered by AI, Gnowbe delivers interactive content that encourages users to apply what they learn immediately. Learners are prompted to record videos, send messages, and reflect on lessons, making the experience immersive and personalized.
Pangilinan said he has been using the platform for years and sees its potential in reaching communities, churches, schools, and businesses across the Philippines.
“I’ve tried it through the years. I use this,” he said.
The hope, he said, is to grow a more knowledgeable, connected and empowered Philippines — one byte at a time.
