GATLABAYAN, Mark Bien I.

Purposive Communication

BSA 1- 5

Running for Office: Filipinos' Standards for Public Officials

The Philippines is not in a good condition. It’s kind of a messed up situation wherein

multifarious problems are arising as the days go by. As far as I can see in our reality right now,

the good change that was once promised to us during the last election can’t still be felt and is still

nowhere to be found. All we can feel is life becoming harsher and harder to live. Our government

slowly kills our nation as Filipinos aren’t equipped with knowledge and the drive to fight back.

We are a democratic country and with this, comes the power of the citizens to change

the system and to overthrow nuisances and oppressors. Even though we have this power, why

do we still suffer and why are unqualified candidates still capable of running and winning?

Different factors affects each person’s decision making in voting whether it be life

circumstances, lifestyle, poverty, popularity and many more. All of these play a role in creating a

standard as to how the Filipino people choose the official public servant. Poverty in the

Philippines just keeps getting worse. Around 22 million Filipinos or one-fifth of the country's

population still live below the national poverty line and these population are target audiences for

those who wanted a sit in the government. Popularity is also a factor. This shows that that some

Filipinos aren’t really that critical in picking out candidates and just go and support the ones that

are popular to them because they saw that candidate on television or that man is their idol.
 Since the Philippines, is a religious country, Religion could also be one factor in cases

wherein someone is in a religious group and their leader wants them to vote for certain specific

candidates, then that person would most likely follow the decisions of their sacred group. An

example of this would be Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC). They are quite a number of collective voters that

almost everyone they select as candidates tend to be elected or secured for a position.

Lack of empathy towards nationalism could also be a determinant on why undeserving

candidates win every election. We complain about a lot of things whether it be life circumstances

or dissatisfaction and we always blame it on the government but what we fail to see is that we

are also part of the problem. We wanted change but we’re the ones who elected those who

doesn’t really bring true impact. Not everyone, but a lot of people still don’t care whether

someone deserves to be voted or not as long as it doesn’t affect them yet and this idea is wrong

because we must incorporate or include the feelings and sentiments of other people especially

those in the grassroots level.

People are entitled to their own opinions because we have a freedom of choice. It is in

inherent in all of us the right or freedom to express what we want to say or do but just because

we have been given the autonomy to do these kinds of things doesn’t mean we are also free from

consequences. All of our choices in life determines what outcomes or effect it would cost not

only in our own lives but also, in the lives of other people. We must do our part in picking out the

deserving because being a good citizen could not only improve our state of mind but also could

improve the society with the help of collective and collaborative effort of individuals. I believed

in a quote by Gordon Hinckley “Every good citizen adds to the strength of a nation.” We, in our

little ways could help improve our current situation. Minimum effort, Maximum output.