WHEN TIME MAGAZINE released its 2025 TIME100 Next list, a global roster of rising leaders shaping the future, one Filipino name stood tall among innovators, changemakers, and visionaries — Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto.
At 36, Sotto is the only Philippine leader included this year, recognized under the “Leaders” category for his exemplary model of transparent, ethical, and people-centered governance.
TIME100 Next is an expansion of the annual TIME100, launched in 2019 to spotlight emerging leaders whose influence is shaping tomorrow’s world.
“It is a snapshot of the moment,” said TIME’s Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, “and proof that true influence knows no age.”
For Pasigueños and Filipinos across the country, Sotto’s recognition is more than an individual honor—it is a beacon of hope for the possibility of change in Philippine politics.
BREAKING DYSNASTIES
Sotto’s political journey began with a quiet yet revolutionary victory. In 2019, he dismantled a 27-year political dynasty in Pasig, not with vast machinery or deep political coffers, but with an unconventional weapon: radical transparency.
His leadership style—direct, data-driven, and empathetic—is often described as a refreshing departure from traditional patronage politics. It is this reformist approach that TIME sought to spotlight, with Nobel Peace Prize laureate and journalist Maria Ressa writing the tribute in his honor.
“In the Philippines, fighting corruption feels like death by a thousand cuts—each small victory eroded by the system’s capacity to regenerate. But Vico Sotto is proving it can be done,” Ressa wrote.
“At 36, Pasig City’s mayor has toppled a 27-year family dynasty not through money or machinery, but through radical transparency. His courageous approach is a master class in modern, ethical leadership and has twice won him re-election, including in May.”
ICONIC GOVERNANCE
At home, Sotto is not just a mayor—he is a convenor of the Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG), a coalition of reform-minded local executives across the Philippines.
His inclusion in TIME100 Next, M4GG declared, is both a personal milestone and a collective victory for citizens demanding accountability and reform.
Internationally, Sotto now shares space with other honorees such as digital harassment advocate Elliston Berry, New Zealand’s Gen Z Māori leader Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, and Thai golf prodigy Jeeno Thitikul — a diverse group illustrating a leadership which goes beyond parliaments and boardrooms— and thriving in city halls, grassroots movements, and communities worldwide.
BEYOND SYMBOLISM
For a country long plagued by systemic corruption and political dynasties, Sotto’s rise and continued success offer proof that an alternative model of politics is possible.
His repeated victories at the ballot box indicates that the electorate is willing to embrace leaders embodying transparency, accountability, and empathy.
TIME’s Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs explained that the TIME100 Next list serves as “a lens to understand global leadership and influence, featuring honorees from fields such as AI, climate, health, philanthropy, and the creative industry.”
That a Filipino mayor is counted among these global changemakers underscores how local reform can inspire international recognition.
A GENERATION SHIFT
Sotto’s recognition is also part of a generational wave. Young Filipinos are increasingly demanding leaders who are principled rather than transactional, transparent rather than corrupt, empathetic rather than authoritarian.
As Ressa captured, “It’s a testament to the power of the individual to ignite a movement for a change.”
LOOKING AHEAD
As Sotto joins TIME’s circle of influential leaders, the question is no longer whether he can continue reforming Pasig—it is whether his brand of leadership can inspire national and global transformations.
For now, the recognition stands as both honor and responsibility. For Filipinos weary of politics-as-usual, it is also a glimmer of hope: that integrity, empathy, and good governance can command not only local trust but global attention.
From Pasig to the world, Mayor Vico Sotto embodies the enduring Filipino aspiration for honest, ethical, and visionary leadership.