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7 Signs that Elections in the Philippines are already Near

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How do we know that the national elections in the Philippines are already near? Well, we don’t need to witness politicians formally filing their candidacy. We don’t need to see influential people and institutions endorsing their favorite candidates. The breeze of elections in the country is palpable even a year before it’s held.

Here are 7 signs that elections in the Philippines are already near:

1. Lots of roads are getting reconstructed or repaired
I’m not sure if this is true all over the country. But here in our province, it has already been a trend that road repairs and reblocking are happening when the elections are already approaching. I’m not certain why is it happening. Perhaps our roads are just made to last for 3 years or 6 years? Who knows? I heard the news that lots of road reblocking are also happening right now in Metro Manila. So I guess it’s happening across the country. What do you think?

2. Politicians are becoming a favorite guest on TV shows
Politicians, especially those who have massive followers, are hot commodities when elections are nearing. They become celebrities who can make any TV station’s rating soar. Thus, they become a favorite guest on talk shows and even on sitcoms. So have you already spotted one?

3. Politicians are getting closer to the masses
When the elections are already near, we see politicians frequently visiting the masses, attending fiestas, commencement ceremonies, school anniversaries, et cetera. We even see them having lunch with the poor and do the “kamayan” (using one’s bear hands in eating). And when asked if they are doing it as part of their political campaign, their answer is not affirmative.

Social media ad Facebook

4. Political ads are already visible online and off
The official and legitimate start of the campaign period in the Philippines for the national candidates (i.e., president, vice president, senators and party-lists) usually start 90 days before the elections. However, we can already watch political ads on televisions as early as 9 months before the elections. And in social media, where it is difficult to regulate political ads, expect to see sponsored political ads on Facebook as early as a year before the election day.

5. Printing businesses are already getting busier
The demand on tarpaulins and other materials used for campaign is rising when elections are near. If you own a printing business, you can surely feel it. It’s like all the money in the country are just spent on every politician’s will to win the election. I hope it’s not the taxpayers’ money.

6. There are surveys here and there
The hype is getting stronger with surveys of the top candidates for president, vice-president and senators. These political surveys are getting picked up by media and disseminated to the public. But the question is… can we trust these surveys? Well, it’s up to you.

7. The political battle begins.
Black propagandas are unleashed, political enemies are persecuted or even jailed, laglagan na (confessing to prove that someone is guilty), the battles in the political arena begin. But remember that the battles are only part of the country’s unending political war.

The signs I mentioned above are only based on my personal observations. My goal is to present them to the public and learn if the Filipino people also have the same thoughts as I do. So which among the signs above have you already seen or felt?

What other signs can you add to the list? Feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

11 Things that are Poor in the Philippines (Why Our Country can’t Progress)

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Houses of poor Filipinos

Apparently, our country is not yet highly developed. Millions of Filipinos are still poor. A lot of households in our country are still struggling to survive financially and economically. No matter how the government tells us about our current economic achievements, poverty is still evident across our country.

Others might say that those Filipinos who are poor are lazy and just reliant to our government. But look, many of our countrymen are already working hard, yet they’re still trapped in the limbo of poverty.

So what’s the problem?

The problem is there are unfortunate things that exist in our country that are making many Filipinos poor no matter how hard they work to become rich and have financial freedom. Poor things give birth to more poor things. And if we want to fight poverty in the Philippines, we might want to take a look at these 11 things that are poor in the Philippines and why our country is struggling to progress. [Read more…]

10 Reasons Why Many Filipinos Elect Undeserving Politicians

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Ask yourself now, honestly, do we have a majority of honest, selfless and competent politicians in the government seats today? Alas, the truth can’t be denied. We cannot deny the realities we hear, feel and see every day. Our former presidents are impeached. Our senators are accused of plunder. Our congress can hardly earn trust from the public. Corruption is definitely not less in our country.

It’s a sad truth that we must face. Most of us elect politicians who are not fit to lead our nation. Of course there are Filipinos who are making the wisest votes. But those votes don’t usually form a majority to win during elections. Of course we also have sincere and responsible public officials. But they are obviously outnumbered by their opposites.

When we talk about unworthy politicians, we aren’t only talking about the corrupt politicians but also the incompetent or feeble ones. So why do a lot of us keep on electing them? Here are 10 reasons why.

1. They vote for money. Unworthy politicians get elected because many Filipinos vote in exchange for money, not for the progress and prosperity of our country. Because of their severe need for money and lack of informed judgment, they choose to prosper for a day with the money they can get from vote selling (buying), without realizing that they’re also giving up the future of our nation.

2. They vote for popularity. They choose the famous personalities, whether they’re popular actors, actresses, athletes or children of former famous politicians. Of course popular personalities can possibly become deserving leaders, but voting based only on popularity is a lame move, isn’t it?

3. They vote for affiliation. They vote for the politicians whom they are most affiliated with. For example, most Filipinos in a certain province vote for a presidential candidate who came from their place because they are expecting that he or she will be the one who can help them the most, without thinking they’re obliged to choose someone who can help the entire nation, not only their province.

4. They vote for their debt. They vote for the sake of paying their debt of gratitude. They elect the political candidates who have sponsored their scholarship, weeding, sports activities, and other events. If these politicians are running for congressional or senatorial seats, do you think they’re making a wise vote, considering that their job is to make laws, not to sponsor things?

5. They vote for probability. They believe and follow the surveys. They don’t fight for their true vote until the end. They give up on the most deserving candidate because he or she has a small chance of winning. They vote for the one who has the biggest chance of winning. If majority of the Filipinos have this mindset, what do you think will happen to the Philippines?

6. They vote for uncertainty. They don’t have any concrete idea who’s deserving and who’s not. They don’t exert efforts to make a research and know all the candidates better. So they just make a wild guess.

7. They vote for the best promises. And because they are uncertain as to who’s the one to vote, they’re basing their votes on the talk of the politicians without knowing how they walk their talk. They believe in the lies of dishonest politicians who are good at convincing people with flowery words.

8. They vote for their faith. They vote for the one who’s endorsed by their leader, idol or influencer. Some of them are also making a religious bloc voting. Although the endorsed politicians can be deserving, voting without knowing the deeds of such politicians can still lead to unjustified vote. What do you think?

9. They vote nothing. They don’t make a vote at all. Not exercising one’s right to make a wise vote can increase the chance of an unworthy politician to win. Whether eligible Filipino voters vote or not, they still form part of the election process. Whether we vote or not, the election continues. Whether you vote or not, you still elect.

10. Their votes are stolen. They’ve actually made the right votes but the cheaters or election fraudster didn’t count them.

The reasons I shared above are problems that we should identify and solve. Although they may sound a bit offensive to some of the Filipinos, these things are happening for real and we cannot deny them. We should face and overcome them. We should not cover them up, rather we should come up with solutions.

Poverty and lack of formal education can contribute to these problems, but they are not the absolute reasons why we keep on electing unworthy politicians. Poor and uneducated people can still make a vote with dignity. It’s actually the lack of love for our entire country that is the root of all these.

So what do you think are the solutions to stop this trend? What can you do to encourage our countrymen to vote and elect the right leaders of our country? Feel free to make a comment below.

14 Qualities of an Effective President of a Country: #14 is the Greatest of Them All

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Under Article 7, Section 2 of the Philippine Constitution, in order to serve as President, one must be at least 40 years old, a registered voter, able to read and write, a natural-born Filipino citizen, and a resident of the Philippines for at least ten years immediately preceding election. But those are only basic qualifications. We, the voters, must also set our own qualifications in choosing the right President to make sure that our country will have continuous progress and our children will have a brighter future.

The following qualities of an effective leader of our nation may be too idealistic, but I believe that we can still find some (if not all) of these traits in a person who is or who will be worthy to become the leader of our government. [Read more…]

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FAQ.ph stands for Facts, Answers and Questions about the Philippines. It is an online place where you can read interesting facts, useful answers and frequently asked questions about our country, its places, events and people. Our mission is to share stories that will help Filipinos and the world gain knowledge about everything in the Philippines, including its beautiful spots, rich history, unique society, and solutions towards the nation's progress.

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