The Great Filipino Dream

Much has been said about Barack Obama's historic triumph as the first elected African-American president of the United States. The reaction was ecstatic, at best optimistic. It was not as if his win was the answer to the world's problems; it was because his election inspired it.

George W. Bush’s administration ramble on about “terrorists” and “oppressive regimes”, but it is the ordinary American who is the real oppressed -- having had to succumb to eight years of government ineptitude and mockery of accountability, which led nowhere save for two wars, a financial recession, and a bruised Uncle Sam disdained by the world, among others.

What we all witnessed on November 4 speaks for itself -- its citizens have broken through that enormous wall of national cynicism, and set aside whatever partisanship and prejudice they had to finally shatter that discriminating political glass ceiling and voted for a relatively young black man to the highest office in the land. Mr. Obama has the intelligence, capability, charisma, aptitude, and most of all, a vision -- he gave hope even to the most impassive. These, along with his remarkable campaign leadership, helped overcome a perceived lack of experience and paved the way for a revitalization of America's ideals. We'll just have to wait and see whether he can deliver. Taking office at a time of crisis doesn’t guarantee greatness, but it can be an occasion for it.

There is so much inspiration the Philippines can draw from the election that was. For all the arguments about whether our country should be run as a democracy or not, let's set them aside and start taking a realistic look at our national conscience.

Philippine elections have always been a fodder for controversy. Whenever there is one taking place, we always view it with suspicion and apprehension --who can blame us anyway? Every national election I have known since Marcos has a noteworthy taint about it. Lying, cheating, stealing, and killing seem to be part and parcel of the Philippine landscape. “Onli in da Pilipins”, shall we say -- and here we are, purporting to be the only Catholic country in Asia. The media get a field day, election after election, on reports of vote-buying and fraud, political opponents getting ambushed and innocent teachers discarded as collateral damage in the name of victory. The most glaring drawback is that we never seem to move past our ancient manual polling system, one shortcoming that only devious elements are more than willing to continue. The oft-repeated alibi is that revamping the system only curtails huge expenses, and that we do not have the power to efficiently implement it.

For one thing, where else do they get the funding if not for the sweat and blood of the taxpayers? We would much rather see the fruit of our labors generate long-term democratic productivity, than waste it on eternal delays of manual counting that is too prone to manipulation. India, with its billion-plus population, has managed to even outdo its Western counterparts with an inexpensive and effective automation system. If they can do it, why can’t we? Technological advances such as these may not be as fool-proof, but it is definitely a more stringent step towards cleaner elections.

Gone are the days when campaigns were all about specific ideas, plans, and actions on how to work best for the welfare of the people. That candidates should stand for the common man, and that a public servant is a public trust. Missing are the likes of Recto, Diokno, Tañada and Aquino who engaged in highly cerebral discussions that gave insight to their identity, potential and competency to lead.

These days, candidates gravitate toward “showbiztocracy” and rely on celebrity endorsements, catchphrases and scintillating slogans to wow the crowd. And whenever they do get to the point of presenting their policies, they simply churn out platitudes and empty pledges. They grandstand on issues, whatever that’s buzz worthy and soundbite-friendly. They are supposed to be intellectuals – we’ve had enough of political animals, why join the circus? Remember that Joseph Estrada got elected president with no debates and a vague platform, and well, look at where his “mass appeal” led us. The quality of most of our politicians nowadays has but decomposed to a confederacy of dunces. Where else do we see do-nothing scions, moneyed crossovers, showbiz personalities and the ever-present trapos congregate, in full attendance especially at the annual photo-op worthy State of the Nation Address (also known as the Banana Republic Fashion Show)?

We are in such a short supply of committed men and women who can represent our rights and give us our due. One attribute is that the genuine leaders often shy away from the political arena because they are afraid to be consumed by the rotten, sycophantic culture that goes with it. Corruption has been a most incurable disease, something condoned to be as normal as bowel movement that nothing ever gets done in eradicating it. We may have our share of brilliant scholars, NGO workers, humanitarians and philanthropists, but no political leader in recent memory has ever truly done us proud. All we have known about our present Arroyo administration – a questionable succession, naked corruption, a never-ending impasse in Mindanao as a vapid excuse for a bloated fiscal budget, the 500-peso poverty-inducing subsidies, blatant disregard of the Constitution, journalists and human rights activists getting killed, murderers roaming free, the willful expulsion of our nation’s brain and brawn as a short-term solution to a languishing economy. Like the US’ Bush, her rule exemplifies a mockery of accountability unparalleled; we might as well be under a tyrant. Maybe she does have a few accomplishments, but the ones that easily come to mind are the legacies she has been creating indirectly for herself through her father’s name (we’ve got a P200 bill, an airport, a highway, a road – and God forbid, a university cannot be far behind…); that we foot the bill for an unprecedented number of overseas “official” trips ever for a president; and on a romantic note, that all three of her children got married under her term.

To prevent further catastrophe and the blame game, overhauling the political system starts from us. We have to stop distancing from our own reality and not do anything – it is one hell of a reality, but we can turn it around if we want to.

We need to be a responsible, informed electorate. Let’s break free from our apathy and develop the courage to stand up for what is good. We should demand action from our leaders and call on them to attend to the people’s needs. Stop rewarding ineptitude and consenting to deceit, and participate in a democracy that should be honest, free and progressive. The scourges and sins of our country will lessen if we do not tolerate and practice them.

Candidates who are running for public office should do away with diversionary tactics like mudslinging and produce a sensible campaign that invokes a dialogue of programs and solutions. The fact that we have a shameless number of political parties with no clear distinction among them only begets divisiveness, thus we call for unification and a revamping of principles. We need leaders who are decent, wise and mature, that when the results have been tallied there will be no room for sourgraping and acrimony, and just accept the outcome with grace. Meanwhile the winners upon election should make good on their promises, ground themselves in humility with the position they have entrusted, keep an open line to both approval and dissent, and work to their best to be able to inspire others to do the same.

The youth is a critical element in this need for renewed nation-building. We are many, but where are we? We ought to be conscious citizens at this stage because we are the ones who will inherit the woes that have befallen our country. Get out of the rut, the Starbucks habit, the gadget addiction, the dream of earning for dollars and luxury --and start working on the Great Filipino Dream. There are still many young adults not registered to vote, and this is one sector that is sadly underutilized. In the United States, young adults comprised nearly 18% of the electorate and their record turnout was pivotal in determining a hugely successful election. They were active in the campaigns, volunteered in rallies, and urged everyone to get out and vote. They knew their rights and used them to their advantage.

The Filipino youth is no different. The morals and the idealism instilled in us should not waver as we age, but instead remain embedded as a lifelong passion for knowledge and truth. We should bear in heart and mind what history taught us: from the battle cry of freedom in 1898 to the rallying call for a peaceful revolution in 1986, the youth was a force to be reckoned with… and so must it be now.

There is no perfect nation. We are not a perfect people. But if we work together, we can change our country and direct it to lasting progress. I believe in it. Do you?