Philippine Politics

With the upcoming local elections in May, the masses are excited and celebrating early for this local-turned-national event. Besides the additional sales of the printing industry, the workers get to work overtime for the rush jobs of millions of copies of leaflets, brochures, posters, tarpaulins, banners, and stickers for distribution all over the country. People engaged in the novelty items and sporting goods business are hitting their quotas and compensating for the missed months of sales during the past two months. The mass communications/ advertising industry has been reaping the most benefits in this election. The last few days of campaigning before the big day on May 14 have boosted their revenues.

I was able to watch a rerun of the two episodes of TV electoral special of GMA-7,"Isang Tanong", on the website of GMA- 7 news. This electoral special gave me an overview of the platforms and programs of some of the senatoriables. It is both informational and amusing. Some of the nuisance candidates gave me a good entertainment as they ranted off their "seemingly profound" viewpoints and words of wisdom. I guess after the event, some publication would come up with the great idea of putting together all those funny punchlines into a compilation of electoral jokes and booboos.

I have been impressed by the witty repartees and concrete programs of some of the younger and more brilliant candidates. Let us hope that the brilliant ones with good intentions for the country make it to the magic 12 seats in the Senate.

It's high time that this country move forward and catch up to our leading Southeast Asian neighbors. I am a Filipino; and I love this country for this is the only place where I have spent 32 years of my life. Despite my love for this place, I have to get ready and pack my bags soon to work as an OFW somewhere else where I could find a more stable and committed government that would give a better value for the taxes that I pay. I would want posterity to enjoy and reap the benefits due them.

God bless our country and our lawmakers.