“Salamat, AI:” A Textual Analysis of Filipino User Reactions to AI-Generated Political Reels on Facebook

Proponent/s Name/s (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

• Elisha Pauline M. Guce, De La Salle University, ManilaFollow
• Kristel L. Alo, De La Salle University, ManilaFollow
• Raine Caitlin N. Otic, De La Salle University, ManilaFollow
• Samantha Antonette C. Syed, De La Salle University, ManilaFollow

Document Types

Paper Presentation

Research Theme (for Paper Presentation and Poster Presentation submissions only)

Media and Philippine Studies (MPS)

School Name

De La Salle University, Manila

Track or Strand

Humanities and Social Science (HUMSS)

Research Advisor (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

Ferrer, Nathaniel Rey D.

Start Date

23-6-2026 3:30 PM

End Date

23-6-2026 5:00 PM

Zoom Link/ Room Assignment

DLSU Manila Campus (In-person) - Don Enrique T. Yuchengco Hall - Y304

Abstract/Executive Summary

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to shape public discourse, AI-generated content on platforms such as Facebook, a dominant social media platform among Filipino users, has increasingly emerged. While most research on generative AI in the Philippines has focused on its potential to spread disinformation, there remains a limited understanding of how Filipino users emotionally respond to such content and how these responses translate into patterns of political behavior. Drawing on Textual Analysis and Affective Intelligence Theory, this study examines (1) the emotional responses most frequently expressed by Filipino users toward AI-generated political content and (2) the patterns of political behavior, such as support, opposition, mobilization, or disengagement, reflected in these comments. Accordingly, the study analyzed 100 Facebook comments from four AI-generated political reels featuring national political figures. These reels included AI disclaimers, received at least 1,000 likes, and were posted from 2025 onwards to capture politically relevant events. The findings reveal five overarching emotional themes: hostile moral condemnation and demonization; hyperbolic loyalty and identity reinforcement; ridicule and derisive humor; normative moral appeals and civic framing; and low-intensity surveillance and information-seeking. These patterns indicate that Filipino users’ emotional responses to AI-generated political content not only reflect affective states aligned with disposition and surveillance systems but also create spaces within comment sections where users interpret political narratives and negotiate collective meaning through language and emotion.

Keywords

politics, Philippines, artificial intelligence, Facebook, social media

Initial Consent for Publication

yes

Statement of Originality

yes