Halalan 2013

The midterm elections has ended yesterday at 7pm. Some winners have already been proclaimed today and the rest will be proclaimed soon.

There have been a few stand out candidates this year who have continually been the topic of headlines, blogs, tweets and memes.

Unfortunately, not everyone in the country has access to these information avenues. The Philippines after all is just a third world country trying desperately to free itself from the clutches of poverty.



And unfortunately again, based on the partial results of the election, the Filipino people might have made it even more challenging to gain an advantage over poverty.

Partial national election results reveal the same names emerging as winners - the same names that have been eternally "serving" the nation but have essentially just been serving themselves. Let's face it. How many years have they been in office yet we basically still have the same problems?

Change is what the country needs. And the elections should've been a great venue for change to start. But maybe the people aren't ready for change? Or the people do not know that change is needed?
The new candidates barely made a dent in terms of votes. They comprise a meager 10% of the total votes (the 10% is just a very rough estimate). The people still favor the familiar.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that given the current economic situation and geographical challenges in the country, it would really take either an extraordinarily great leader or a filthy rich candidate to be able to reach the people from all over the country and be heard. And even that isn't a guarantee. But there's one other formula to winning in Philippine elections - having a recognizable family name, a surname that rings a bell, many bells.

Thankfully, all is not lost. What we must do now is accept the results however painful and frustrating it may be. The elections after all reflect the voice of the majority. However, we must continue to be vigilant and make our voices heard. We must continue to push for change now more than ever. Let us start with us, with ourselves. We must "be the change we want to see." Little by little let's influence those around us to change so they may also influence the others around them. Hopefully, before the next elections, everyone will be ready for the change or at the very least realize that change is needed.