My vote won't be just mine

Image by Miguel Talens

It was the 2019 senate elections when I first involved myself with campaigning. Well, campaigning is a strong word; it was more that I engaged in petty verbal spats under every Facebook comments section. In hindsight, I was an overzealous student taking up Humanities and Social Sciences, who after immersing himself in the lessons of his university teachers and having caught a glimpse of the microcosm of Philippine politics that was Manila, was overcome with an extreme sense of dissatisfaction and powerlessness over the current state of the country.

Much of what I had believed back then very much still carries over today. If anything, some of my sentiments have only intensified. The three years since the last elections, especially as the country faces a particularly difficult pandemic, has stripped away a lot of our government’s smoke and mirrors, exposing a system that only houses presidential yes-men and the shallow personalities they hide under. 

More than ever, I realize my vote won’t be just mine.

The recent years have shown the youth—registered to vote or not—the trickling effects of politics over the country’s younger crowd. Education, health, and general welfare appear to take a backseat in favor of military spending and the violent war against drugs. Indigenous groups are being attacked and driven away from their homes. Foreign debt has increased in order to sustain the country during this difficult time, but has its allocation of borrowed funds been cost-effective? The less said about an artificial beach at Manila Bay, the better. 

We mean it genuinely when we say that the decisions of our leaders in recent memory have robbed us of the best years of our youth. Never mind the two years of quarantine as a result of the poor pandemic response, the relentless red-tagging and suppression of student leaders and journalists call into question the very nature of our democracy—if we are anything close to a democratic nation, to begin with.

So while I admit to my counterproductive and overenthusiastic approach to political discussions in the past, I haven’t changed my mind at all over the values I have adopted. Perspective has only made me view these issues in a much clearer light. 

More than ever, I realize my vote won’t be just mine.

I’ll spare you any endorsements of a candidate. I’ll refrain from making any targeted dog whistles. If somehow you ever feel as though I am targeting a particular candidate or their supporters, maybe that’s a sign to reconsider that support. 

It shouldn’t come as news to anyone that the youth has taken a much more engaged involvement in today’s political sphere. That said, I feel a strong need to acknowledge my own placement in society. For me to write this through an electronic device, with the knowledge provided to me by my university education tells me of my own privilege. This very platform is an extension of the circumstances that safeguard me from any severe socio-economic blows this country endures. I admit to all this so as to not falsely co-opt myself with the real struggles of minorities and the less fortunate, those whose challenges in life are unimaginable for someone like me.

More than ever, I realize my vote won’t be just mine.

It’s in this self-reflection that I begin to fully understand that the effects of my vote will not happen in a vacuum. An individual’s opinion could be everyone else’s reality for the next six years. This is not a coffee shop. You can’t choose a candidate like it’s a latte flavor you want to try once. 

Moreover, the country would not be in the state that it is in today if not for the cumulative effects of corruption and impunity across multiple generations. I vote not in the hopes of maintaining the current trajectory of this country. I vote to deviate from it. I vote to break cycles. 

Such cycles are broken through the initiative of the people, and the leaders who have dedicated themselves to the service of the masses. Of course, the actions of the masses play a major role in bringing about change regardless of who is seated, but we cannot ignore the transformative possibilities of a leader that is willing to listen to the people. We must exhaust all avenues of democracy, and do so responsibly by choosing leaders who present tangible plans for the nation. 

Only through the presentation of concrete platforms and readiness to face questions can we ensure a leader is transparent and prepared for the daunting role of a president

More than ever, I realize my vote won’t be just mine.

I am aware of the boldness of my statements. I am young and a first-time voter. Should I, perhaps, be enjoying my youth instead of obsessing over politics? Should I be channeling this energy into my studies instead? Maybe so. However, I cannot find it in me to remain complacent and optimistic over the future that our current leaders are actively trying to sabotage for their personal gain. This is not the world I envision leaving to the younger generation, especially if I ever decide to have children of my own. I do not want my kids to feel the same powerlessness I felt years ago.

My vote is not about me. It’s about every farmer and fisherman struggling to make ends meet. It’s about every jeepney driver fighting the threat of a phaseout. It’s about every teacher whose salaries are long due to an increase. It’s about every queer person in search of acceptance. It’s about every person suffering from disabilities asking for accessibility. It’s about those who the state has unlawfully killed for their stances against tyranny. It’s about the youth who will one day be in charge of this world.

My vote won’t be just mine. It’s not an isolated show of support, not a solitary voice trapped inside an echo chamber. My vote is also the Filipino people’s.