PiliPinas Debates 2016: An interactive experience for Filipinos worldwide

For the first time in this campaign season, the five candidates for the highest post in the land will face off on Sunday in Cagayan De Oro for the first leg of the PiliPinas Debates 2016.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Grace Poe, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, and Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago will share the stage for the very first time in the event organized by the Commission on Elections in cooperation with GMA Network and the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Filipinos here and abroad will have the chance to follow every word of the presidentiables, with the event airing live over GMA-7 beginning at 5 p.m.

The event will also air live in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, USA and Canada via GMA Pinoy TV, and slightly delayed in the Asia Pacific region.

The debate will be broadcast live over radio dzBB, with other radio stations also expected to air the event live.

The online audience will also be well-served with the debate being streamed live all over the world via GMA News Online and INQUIRER.net, two of the biggest news websites in the country.

Aside from the standard broadcast, viewers can also stream a 360 video of the debate at GMA News Online.

Interactive experience

But the discussion will not be limited among the five presidentiables on their respective podiums on debate day.

Filipino netizens here and abroad watching the debate will have the chance to make their voices heard live using their laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2016 microsite will host a live updates page that will provide not just up-to-the-second coverage, but also instant analysis and background for readers while watching the event.

Viewers, meanwhile, can quickly make their sentiments known with the Emoji Meter, which will allow them to instantly react to what is happening during the debate on Sunday.

GMA News will also host discussions over its social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter, where users of can catch up and join meaningful conversations about the debate.

In partnership with GMA, Facebook and Twitter will also provide real-time insights about the conversations and reactions that shape up during the event.

The GMA News accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Viber will also provide exclusive peeks into the debate before, during, and after the event, with backstage video, live audience interviews during breaks, and other snapshots that won't be seen on the television broadcast. --JST, GMA News