Mr. Webster defines it as the art
of government or the science of influencing or guiding and it can be
characterized by the competition between groups or individuals for power or
leadership.
If that is so, then it is right to say that politics is everywhere. From the largest society up to the smallest groups, politics can be found anywhere. Inside every individual exists the concept of politics. Even in the children, it can be observed since kids’ idealism is that everything must revolve around them. Every kid’s notion is that they must be the center of everything that’s happening around them. In a way, they compete with other kids who also want to be put into limelight. But the question is, are they selfish? No, because that is so normal for the kids.
However, if you are already educated, you no longer have to act as such because you have already been taught of how to act and react in a moral and rational manner. You just have to healthily compete with others but make sure that your competition will have a positive outcome that will be beneficial to your fellowmen.
Just last Monday, Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections were held simultaneously at almost 42,000 villages in the country. Even if some parties were dismayed over the turn-out of the polls, still, Commission on Elections declared it as a successful and peaceful one. Declared failure of elections were only in at least 2000 places or 5% of the totality of barangays in the Philippines.
However, before the main event, let me just share a story about what’s happening during the election season in the Philippines. It is a known fact that there is a lot of manipulative bitches in the field of politics and what's frustrating is that there's a lot more people who is gullible enough to believe them.
Weeks before the official filing of candidacy started, I talked to one of the known officials in our community who was also planning to run for chairman, the highest post in a barangay. Truth of the matter was that I also planned to run for a council seat in our small village.
Why? Aside from the fact that ever since the early days of my childhood, I already dreamt of becoming a renowned official in the country, I also wanted to make our place a more active community in the metro. Just like other barangays, ours is facing the same problems of neighborhood fights, and lack of equipment or facilities and suitable structures that will help officials to properly perform their main task of providing assistance to all the members of our community. Our Barangay Hall is even dilapidated that most of the times, if officials want to meet, they would have to settle themselves in one of the officers' house or even in a fastfood chain just to be able to discuss whatever important matter it is. Our barangay also commits injustice to nature. Some people are involved to prohibited drugs and other activities that are considered illegal.
As different administrations passed by, sad to say, but our community still faces the same problems that prompted me to run for a seat. As simple as my wish, I know that inside me, I can make our place a better residential area: by simply changing the wrong actions that they have been doing and rectifying some of the measures that will be beneficial to everybody.
However, as I indirectly expressed my willingness to run for a seat, someone said that my plan was a good one since being a Barangay Councilor would entail lots of benefits that I would never dream of getting. I was shocked since for this person, the post in a barangay is not a noble one but a ground for corruption. Then I let this person tell me what’s more an official could get.
A free trip to some of the best beaches or tourist destinations in the country. If you’re lucky enough, you could also be included in the list of official delegates of a mayor when he or she visits other countries. If your loyalty to local government is incomparable, you will also be blessed with a lot of money that you could either use for your barangay or your personal gain.
Such thoughts shook my willingness to run for a seat. Not that I could easily be persuade to commit corrupt practices but I just know that in my current standing, I may not be able to stand against it, perhaps in the near future when I’m far more capable of understanding the true measurement of being noble.
There are more opportunities and I’m still young. Serving or helping the needy doesn't also push you to run for if you really want to help then by all means, you can do it. So, I changed my mind instead decided to first improve myself. Change myself first before I would be able to change the society.
Election came and I was somehow relieved that the winners were those who I know will spark improvements in our small village. Those who are not in the position have the power to look into the actions of our officials and in turn report to them what we think they have been doing wrong. Perhaps, that will be my position for now.
To the local government, I hope that the straight path of the President would also be their move that negative acts of the previous administrations would no longer be repeated. For the Congress, there are news that they are planning to abolish the Sangguniang Kabataan sector and all I can say is that maybe you can just amend the program and highlight what this sector should be doing for early exposure of the youth to good politics would mold our country in the next generations.
Politics may be an act of competition but healthy way of it could yield
positive results not only to the politician but also to all the fellowmen.
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