Exactly 48 days before the Philippines elect a new president.
This election is not only important for the voters in the Philippines, but for all Filipinos around the world. Hear us out.
In the past 2 years, when the world did shut down due to the pandemic, most governments all over the world tried their very best to help their people, provided financial aid to households and businesses and made every effort to support their countrymen. In the Philippines, confusing and ever-changing lockdowns were implemented and minimal to no support were provided to local businesses and households up to this day. In the past 2 years, private sector stepped up, creatives stood up and community pantries mushroomed to help our countrymen which the current government did not even tried to address. Time and several publications also reported that the Philippines had one of the longest and strictest lockdowns in the world. In addition, according to Bloomberg, the Philippines fell to last place in Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking and named as the worst place to be during COVID. Looking at the poor pandemic response alone, we can all at least hope and pray for a better Philippines this year and beyond.
Now, others may say that they are not in the Philippines, not or no longer a Filipino citizen, they did not grow up in our motherland, not affected by poor pandemic handling and they are not voting this election so why should they care? It's because we have families who we care about dearly who still live in the Philippines. Because our best friends back home were impacted by the poor pandemic response. Because livelihoods and small businesses (including the livelihood of all our friends who are artists and creative entrepreneurs) were not only disrupted but without recovery plans and aid to help them get back on their feet. Because any of your plans (especially if the work your are eyeing involves Filipinos, our heritage, and our culture) will be affected in at least the next 6 years. And because we are and will always be Filipinos.
What can we actually do? We question everything. We should question everything not to attack another candidate (or candidates) but to help reveal what is true. We question the headlines. The social media posts. The fake news and propagandas. We should question why things turned out the way they are now. Why the son of the former dictator, convicted tax evader and owes the country PHP 203-B running for the topmost office in the country? How can the Philippines pay for all the debt and why was the Philippines in so much debt right now? Why more and more people are showing up in the recent hopeful campaign rallies? Why Filipinos are still suffering from poverty, hunger and unemployment and what should happen to make their lives better.
And then what? We share facts and reliable information within at least our families and our friends. We engage in conversations to help reveal the truth. We study the plans and track record of the candidates, or at the very least what they did in the past 2 years during COVID.
This is not just another election. This is more than politics. This is choosing to create a better future for Filipinos. We are choosing to contribute to building a better Philippines.
By doing simple things based on facts and reliable news publications, even if it may seem and feel like it won’t do or change anything, know that when it is done collectively, we are still able to help the voters (or even one voter) in the Philippines to choose the right person to vote - we empower them, we choose to be with them and stand with them as they cast their vote.
In that way, we try to raise the Philippine flag from wherever we currently are.
In the past 2 years, we also stood against dissent in various forms, both online and on the ground, standing with different communities and joining global movements.
It's time to stand with our kababayans and help build a better Philippines.
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