Listen, learn, discern

There are 10 candidates slugging it out for the presidency of the Philippines.

The elections will be held on May 9. That's three months away. If polls are to be believed, there is a runaway winner.

But surveys aren't always reliable. Especially when the number of respondents is not even a significant fraction of the electorate. There are 67 million registered voters, and 2,500 people are polled for each survey. So, it makes you wonder if the results are truly reflective of the people's sentiment or choices.

The actual campaign for candidates seeking national posts - president, vice president, and senators - kicked off yesterday (Feb. 8). They have 90 days or until May 7 to go around and seek the electorate's support.

Have the majority of Filipinos really made up their mind as to who should get their precious vote, especially for president? How many are still open-minded and willing to listen or learn about each candidate to help them discern before making a final decision?

It is quite enlightening to read about and even better, listen to, each one of these job applicants. They've been interviewed on television, online, and over the radio.

Of course, the ones getting the most airtime and media coverage are the top 5, or the ones figuring in surveys, and who are deemed to have the best chances of putting up a good fight based on platform, resources, and supporters.

Which is unfortunate. Granted the other five would not be able to compete in terms of exposure and reach, they still have pretty good ideas about how to address the main problems faced by the country - revive the economy that took a hit because of the pandemic, address the decades-old issue of poverty, revamp the healthcare system, boost the agricultural sector and make the country self-sufficient in food production, fight the drug war, end the insurgency problem, and ensure the equitable distribution of wealth as much as possible.

It is that inequitable distribution of wealth that results in the wide disparity between the rich and poor that many of the candidates want to address. The lesser known among them have taken note of this and are consistent when interviewed about the need to finally end this.

Here's what I've gleaned so far after listening to these men who many see as having little chance of getting the necessary votes to make it: their platforms make a lot of sense. And some even outline how to address the issues and not just give motherhood statements.

I've even picked up ideas/concepts that have opened my eyes but have not heard from the more popular candidates. And it makes me think that after the elections, whoever wins should actually seek their help to address pressing concerns that they may have better solutions to.

So far, I've heard of imposing wealth taxes (taxing the assets of the 500 wealthiest families in the country that is valued over a billion pesos), designating strategic crops (rice in particular) which government will guarantee so it will always be profitable for farmers to keep growing them; addressing contractualization, which is a bane to skilled workers; and raising minimum wage.

It's important that everyone work together to get the country back on track, and if tapping the expertise of former political opponents will help and their ideas adopted, then it should be a welcome move towards healing and nation-building.

The presidency is not a joke. And for years, the chief executive as the country's leader, has rarely performed as a servant to the people. They've mostly occupied the position as a politician.

We've had enough of politics. Until and unless it is good politics, Filipinos will be better off with less of it.

The next president should inspire the people he or she is sworn to serve so they will also do their share to regain the glory of the Philippines. And to inspire is not just to give hope of a better or brighter future. Concrete actions are necessary.

People whose stomachs rumble from hunger will never be inspired. They need jobs, they need food and shelter, they need their dignity. Address the very basic needs, and people will be more than willing to cooperate.

Days go by so fast. In a snap, it will be May. Crossing my fingers that the electoral exercise in the time of a pandemic, will be smooth and with less hassle than what we've been used to in the past (that's real chaos!).

And I am really, really praying the next president will not only be decent but honest, trustworthy, and respectful. We need a role model.

There is a line in the CW series "Supergirl" that is worth keeping in mind: "You shine the light to inspire others to shine theirs." That is the kind of person we need right now to help the country get back up.