To The 2010 Candidates *

( * For this piece I have adopted the framework from my conversations with Ms Carol Gamiao, a long time friend who advises me at turning points in my life. )


I am a grandchild of politicians. I was born at a time when there were only two political parties and when local politics were literally about guns, goons and gold. At a time when I felt adventurous, I joined the national election campaign of Raul Roco for Philippine president and Inday Santiago for Vice President and as such we were traveling all over the Philippines. In Davao City, I chaired Abanse Pinay, a women’s political movement that sent our Representative Patricia Sarenas to serve two terms in the Philippine House of Congress. And we have lost in elections as well.

Launching a political campaign is like applying for a job by convincing electorates that one is qualified and will be the best person for the job. Winners in elections have mostly been the well entrenched politician from a dynasty or the entertainer or someone popular who can afford media exposure. Which is why, there are now various calls and movements exhorting citizens to be participants of a different campaign : Change Politics Movement (CPM) , Moral Force Movements ( MFM), Ako ang Simula, TindigNation, etc.

Some of the tested formula for winning elections are the usual 2 Ms : machinery and money. Money is the basic material resource to achieve the goal of winning. The money is not for buying votes but logistics for moving around to meet with electorates, for campaign materials and meetings. Candidates must have a machinery and support base. Having dialogues and exploring with a few leaders out there to feel the pulse are important. A platform, a policy agenda or proposed program of governance and some targeted projects that a candidate can deliver can first be discussed with supporters.

The Barack Obama campaign was so integrated with the internet - that I think can be done in the national campaign since our burgeoning youth population have internet connection in such a massive scale. But, at the barangay level, community meetings and consultation will work out fine once a candidate has a program of action. Jobs are needed. Women vote. Students vote. Telephone, internet, will be needed to sell a city or town product. Economic growth and investments are important for the development of a city. Developing a base of support in business is crucial, too. There are some good partners that can provide jobs that are compatible with projects such as agricultural modernization or ecotourism and other appropriate developments for the city or town.

I think that entering politics is exciting, actually. We have been urging women to enter politics because a career in politics, for the longest time now, has been the preserve of men. So, to women out there, we are encouraging you to run. Probably, the intellectual who wants to be independent from the center of power and influence will want to have nothing to do with politics but politics can be an academic exercise as well or a laboratory for social theories and applications. But, spending a fortune to buy votes is so passé by today’s progressive and liberal standards.

My favorite sociologist Randy David said that politics is a mechanism of forging consensus and which is the very essence of democracy. Conrado de Quiros, a newspaper columnist said that we must entrust power to those who least covet it. My wish is for reluctant candidates to muster enough inspiration to launch their next campaign in life to enter politics.