NO LEFT TURNS

            Future lies on today’s RIGHT decisions.

            Election has come to time again. The period when Filipinos, through democracy, (theoretically) build the kind of government they deserve by placing officials in power. The constitutional procedure wherein people practice their Right to Suffrage. The process by which (genuine) result defines the type of future that awaits cynicism – inflicted  yet still hardly-trying-to-remain-optimistic Filipinos.

            Election is the people’s chance of correcting mistakes of the past. It provides the ultimate opportunity of making things RIGHT.

            The past is already tired of its struggles. What then is left is the vigor of the present, their reality-based optimism that outshines the darkness of the penury from the errors of the past. The present is today’s youth.

Youth Power

             In 2010, an estimated 34 million Filipinos will be between the ages of 18-34 years old. That is 54% of the total voting population.

             However, in the 2007 polls, 6.4 million potential voters did not register at all. Of this number, 832 000 came from the youth sector. About 624 000 did not know that they had to register before voting.

           Through mass media’s social mobilization programs like “Ako Mismo”, large numbers of new voters has already registered.

            Individual youth voices can get drowned out amongst the powerful government-incumbent candidates and business tycoons-turned politicians all competing to be heard on this important event – yet it is today’s youth who will be most affected by these decisions and so need a platform from which to be heard.

            If the numbers are harnessed well, the unity of youth vote has the solution to prioritizing the health and education rather than the armed forces, to halting the continuous tuition-fee increase due to commercialism of education, to junking the deregulation of oil products to stop the domino effect it has to prices of basic commodities and to minimizing the effects of global recession to Philippine economy due to its dependence to US government.

           In the 1992 elections, the youth picked Miriam Santiago. In 2004, they chose Raul Roco. In 2007, they preferred Chiz Escudero.

          2010 elections best needs wise, assertive, futuristic youth. Youth’s role for the 2010 election is not to repeat the mistakes of the past. The youth has to stop bequeathing the rotten system into the next generation. 2010 elections is the time for the youth to materialize nationalism from their education. Nationalism, the love for one’s own nation, the command to action.

Political déjà vu : Beware

           Young are the youth so they lack experience. They are easily deceived by the sycophants.

           Politics enthusiasts have a linear view of Philippine election history. It is monotonously repeated from time immemorial. Accomplishments are emphasized. Promises are given. Humanistic and mass-oriented campaigns appear on televisions. Elections come. Elected politicians oath to office, magnetized by temptation and so, public betrayal. Nothing has changed for nothing has done. It just worsened.

           This political déjà vu takes the new young voters into risk of commiting the same mistakes of the past. Thus, in halting the momentum of political déjà vu, objective selection of candidates to be elected is needed. Matter-of –fact is important in periods of election.

           Today’s youth has to be critical voters. They have to be critical of the election for they have to be critical of their future. Pointers will help in choosing the RIGHT candidates. First, there should be proven track record of integrity and competence. Second, that personality should be in touch with reality. Third, the youth should vote for someone who has a good chances of winning. From among those with integrity and competence, choose the most likely to be one of top contenders for the position. It is important so that the youth can channel their collective voting power to only one or two candidates who has a good chance of winning.

Propagandas of Youth Mobilization

           Will power.

           Amidst the external sense of national depression still lies the optimism within hence, the mushrooming of propagandas of youth mobilization on television and cyberspace.

           Social mobilization programs like “Ako Mismo”, “Ako ang Simula”, and “Boto Mo Ipatrol Mo” have been helpful in reiterating the importance of social participation to election. These programs hold that the immortal words of Mahatma Gandhi is forever true: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

          These programs want to emphasize the importance of individual participation in collective pursuance of social change.

           Cyberspace activism also has been used to reach out the geeks and techies with the end in view of forming social participation though the use of technology. Bloggers are the primary instruments for disseminating the social issues and for persuading the virtual community to act on this matters.

          There’s no reason for the youth to not make this election RIGHT. There is still time left.

          Be the change you want to see in the world.