OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Last Monday, Filipinos trooped to voting centers all over the Philippines to cast their votes in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE). With bated breath, candidates from 42,000 barangays waited for the final vote to be cast, hoping that their campaign days would be punctuated with a victorious celebration. A staggering 91 million registered voters made the BSKE, the biggest elections ever conducted in the Philippines, with voters aged 18 to 30 filling up two ballots.
Interestingly, there were at least 2,000 candidates for barangay chairman and over 2,000 candidates for SK chairperson who ran unopposed. In fact, in the municipality of Cataingan, Masbate, all 36 candidates for barangay captains ran unopposed, as the opposing candidates withdrew a few days before election day.
As with previous barangay elections, we saw intense and heated rivalries, usually between friends, or even families from the same community. There were reports of peace and order disturbances and violence in some provinces leading up to election day and on election day itself. However, there were those from the other side of the political spectrum who chose not to get involved or as evidenced by photos posted by news networks of the long queue at the immigration, who opted to take advantage of the long break to take their much needed break from work and perhaps, from the election noise.
Like it or not, the outcome of barangay elections could and should be personal to every voter. Petty quarrels, domestic disputes or (un)neighborly concerns usually entail the involvement of the barangay. Clearances, proof of residency and other seemingly irrelevant requirements will necessitate a quick visit to your friendly barangay official.
Kudos to the Comelec for the orderly conduct of the BSKE. It takes a village and yes, several government agencies to ensure the success of every election and they did so, with little fanfare and a lot of good work thrown into what is usually a chaotic time in Philippine electoral history. Much credit also goes to the teachers who time and again, tirelessly work over and beyond what they get paid for. It can be a thankless job at times but we remain most thankful for the sacrifice that you continue to make.
Days from now, all will be forgotten in the barangay and it will be politics, business or governance as usual for those who won. But I sure hope that the barangay gets a little more involvement than mere interest from us. Those who won, will now carry our voice and sentiment to the powers that be. They now represent us as the duly elected community leaders and what they say will count, whether we deem them relevant or not. My suggestion? Get their names and contact numbers, fast! You never know when the help you need is just a one phone call to the barangay away. And who knows? Your participation could very well be the one thing that will quell all your complaints and make that much needed difference in your community.
Barangay elections may not be sexy (as electoral pundits claim) and not half as interesting as when the big names battle it out, but its function in our lives can be repurposed if we allow its significance to sink in deeper than usual.
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A reader sent me this comment – why give it so much space when barangay elections is just another excuse for corrupt vote buying? My simple answer to this often true and frustrating reality — for as long as there are people willing to sell their vote, there will always be eager buyers who wake up in the wee hours of the morning ready with their wads of cash and sample ballots. Call this the tragic law of election supply and demand.
To the winners, congratulations. To those who didn’t quite make it, sorry but you still need to file your SOCE and remove all those tarps.
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Off The Beat: Sharing a mix I did last week, to commemorate the birthday of my older brother who was born on Oct. 24. He has since left us, but he remains with us every day.
Playlist:
1. CamePhat & Eldenbrook - Cola
2. Duke Dumont - Ocean Drive
3. Kylie Minogue - Magic
4. Re-Tide - The Power
5. Firefly - Love Is Gonna Be On Your Side
6. Boys Noize - All I Want
7. Boris Dlugosch - Keep Pushin
8. David Penn - Nobody
9. The Shapeshifters - Lola’s Theme Recut
10. David Penn - Push The Feeling
Visit the link to listen:
https://www.mixcloud.com/goyolarrazabal/goyos-mix-231024-cola-emys-birthday/