SONA tops July Facebook volume, but ₱85 Minimum wage post drives highest engagement -Capstone-Intel Report

The monitoring period (July 1–31, 2026) recorded a total of 41,818 posts and a combined Engagement Score (ES) of 7,317,591.7 across the five keyword sets, alongside more than 4.4 million comments.

SONA ranked first, capturing 23,026 posts (55.1% of the official post count) and an Engagement Score of 3,257,323.3 (44.5% of the combined total); Alex Eala secured second place with an Engagement Score of 1,834,007.8 (25.1% share); West Philippine Sea (WPS) ranked third with 918,233.9 engagement points (12.5% share); SB19 ranked fourth with 704,433.8 engagement points (9.6% share) while P85 or Minimum Wage ranked fifth with 603,592.9 engagement points (8.2% share).

Despite ranking lowest in overall topic volume, the minimum wage debate produced the single most engaging post of the entire month. The most engaging post of the month was a simple question: What an P85 wage adjustment can buy? It recorded an engagement score of 153,202.1 and 115,945 shares. The reaction mix for this viral post was overwhelmingly dominated by “Haha” (95.8%), highlighting profound irony, disbelief, and public skepticism regarding basic living costs.

Pride-driven content and international achievements (such as Alex Eala’s Wimbledon run and SB19’s global milestones) drew overwhelming “Love” and “Like” reactions (reaching up to 83.5% Love share for SB19). Conversely, political and economic policy discussions triggered high “Haha” and “Angry” shares, signaling sarcasm and widespread public concern over resource distribution and inflation.

Public interest spiked around specific calendar events, Alex Eala peaked around her Wimbledon breakthrough on July 5; the West Philippine Sea surged around the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral award on July 12; SONA concentrated heavily on July 27; and SB19 peaked at the end of the month around international music festival appearances and rollouts.
[14/08/2026 4:47 pm] Lovelle: While major political spectacles commanded the highest raw volume, economic pain points struck a raw nerve among everyday netizens.
The annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) led the monthly metrics, capturing 23,026 posts and generating an engagement score of over 3.25 million.

“The numbers show something important: volume and engagement aren’t the same thing,” said Capstone-Intel Corporation Chief Executive Officer Geraldine Brillantes. “SONA had the most posts, but one question about minimum wage got more engagement than any single post all month. That’s the number that actually matters — it shows what’s really connecting with people.”

“The reactions tell us even more,” Brillantes added. “When an economic post gets flooded with ‘Haha’ reactions, that’s not just people finding it funny — it’s a clear sign of public doubt or irony. Being able to track that shift as it happens gives policymakers and communicators an early read on how the public actually feels.”

“While major political events like the SONA capture broad systemic debates, everyday financial concerns such as what a nominal wage increase can actually purchase, turn technical policy into immediate personal tests for Filipino families,” Brillantes noted.

Tennis phenom Alex Eala secured the second spot in overall engagement, propelled by widespread admiration over her historic Wimbledon run and international recognitions. Similarly, P-pop powerhouse SB19 drove massive digital devotion, amplified by global music milestones and their official appointment as Tourism Ambassadors.

Meanwhile, the West Philippine Sea discussion catalyzed by the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral victory delivered the month’s strongest positive emotional narrative. An anniversary post by ABS-CBN News drew 488,452 total reactions, with “Love” making up 74.5% of the total mix.

Analysts noted this reflected deep-seated patriotic solidarity and a unified public memory surrounding national sovereignty.