to those who will be running for office this 2010 ELECTIONS, yes. you should think about this. :)
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YPPC –
(Young People for Positive Change)
To celebrate the 23rd anniversary of the EDSA Revolution, we, the high school student leaders of Assumption-Iloilo, Ateneo de Iloilo -
The national elections in 2010 will give us another chance to elect officials. A new group of voters, the youth, will have the chance to exercise the right of suffrage. So, we came together and resolved to let our voices be heard.
Get in touch with us.
Email: iloiloyouth@gmail.com
Contact person:
· Eunice Tan Contreras
(033) 3389733
0922815598
Y-POP
Young People on Politics
Making the Right Choice
Quite recently, much talk has been buzzing around regarding the 2010 Presidential Election. A number of politicians have cited their intentions to run for the President seat, and dozens of posters have sprung up in many cities throughout our country. It is also important to note that one year from now, a fresh batch of young voters will exercise for the first time their constitutional right to vote. As such, many of the “presidentiables” have focused their campaigns toward this voting group.
Previous elections, such as the recent one in the
One of the problems many voters face is choosing a right leader. Sometimes, the line between truth and lies gets blurred, and it gets really hard to vote for the deserving candidate. So, the knowledge of the qualities that make a good leader should not only be known by leaders and candidates but also by voters and citizens as well.
Obviously, there are many qualities that make up a good leader. However, we believe that there are four of these that stand out among the rest. A good leader must be:
- Charismatic – There is a saying that goes that “no man is an island”. As such, politicians cannot lead the country by themselves. They need the help of the citizens. There is always strength in numbers. A charismatic leader has the ability to rally the populace into one single cause, and unite the nation in times of crisis. Quoting from John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, “When we are united, there is much to do; when not, there is nothing we can do.”
- Firm – Leaders are elected to lead. However this is not the case in many sectors of our government. Many politicians are easily influenced by external elements whenever they would make decisions. We need leaders who are firm in their decision making. They must be the ones to lead and let others follow. In the kind of world that we live in today, weaklings have no place to exist in a society.
- Honest – Dishonesty is the root of all the corruption in our country. Therefore, the solution is honesty. A lot of corrupt politicians are stupid enough to believe that many of us Filipinos are so ignorant, that we believe their lies in the radio and on TV. Quite frankly, we’re not. Honest leaders are those who make sure that what they say will always be what they do.
- Virtuous – Virtue is perhaps the most important aspect of a good leader. Why? It is because every other good thing will follow if and only if the leader is virtuous. If virtues are the foundation of a good human being, then virtuous leaders are the foundation of a good society. Evil begets evil and goodness begets goodness. A good leader will foster a good society while a bad leader will most certainly lead it to ruin.
Although most of the responsibility in improving and changing our country lies with the politicians, we citizens share a part of it to. Since we live in a democracy, we are the ones who truly hold the power. Without us, the politicians are nothing. Who else would be the ones whom they would lead? This is why many candidates invest so much time, money and effort just to get votes. It is said in the Bible that “a bad tree bears bad fruit and a good tree bears good fruit”. Since we will cast our votes in the next election, we must make sure that those whom we elect into office are good trees. Whether we like it or not, we are going to have to deal with the next batch politicians for the next few years of our lives. We might as well make these years worth living by voting for the right leaders. One Election Day could make such an impact that would affect us for the rest of our lives.
By: The Westbridge Student Council
More Tarps?
Politics, true enough, will never mean the same without the fancy suits and cars, the megaphones and prank-like advertisements, the rivalries and all of this sort that can simply be placed under one hilarious term: fuss.
However, questions still remain, especially on an occasion like EDSA, when will we really take this seriously? What, or who should we really be looking into as people capable of the biggest job in the nation?
Honestly, at this point it may be unfair to make judgements. But at least we should know what kind of person we want to have. And to all the readers: what is this really all about? Everywhere we see “Register Now and be Counted!” by whoever for the whatever position. Nothing can be seen that is actually about these people. Since the last elections, everything has been more of a popularity contest, no one dared much to explain what he/she would really do.
And as we know that none of us could really know what could be done when you are in the palace, we should at least make sure that what we want to happen to this country is fought for by our voted candidate.
Yet again, fought for seems to be so odd to describe.
Simply put, then, we need a leader that fills the tarpaulins not with his face, but with what he can do. That does not only speak of what he can do, with all the college degrees he/ she may have attained outside and the like, but had really been proven to do it even in the outside world. Enough of the wisetalk, we don’t need it! We need a practical leader, who does what he says he will do and makes sure they happen well. We need a leader who truly cares for this country and what happens to it. We need someone that can face the world and change the way everyone looks at the
Point is we don’t need a typical politician, we literally need someone who won’t care about his/her face but will care about the face of the street where his/her tarpaulin is posted. We need someone who will inspire by example. And even so, many would say that this is such a dreamy line of thought, but if Ninoy Aquino existed and there was good in him, is it so impossible to find another good man out there?
A president will take charge of the problem and solve it, we’re still balancing at the negative trillions right now and we are just looking at it. A true hero wouldn’t stand the reason it can’t be solved. We know PGMA is working very hard, but we also know she can’t be there beyond 2010 anymore. Again, the point is: as we commemorate EDSA, let’s remember that 23 years ago, a man lived and loved his country, can’t we find a man like that now? Is it impossible, or are we just so closed-minded?
We have to start reading beyond the digitally printed lines these days and know who we’re writing down in the ballot. The only way to believe in one’s choices is if you know they are sincere. But do we, as an entire nation, totally know the president we have even after 8 years of her on that high seat?
It’s time to choose wisely, not critically however. Because we can never find the spirit of Ninoy if we don’t look for it, if we don’t appreciate the good in each candidate’s hearts.
By the Ateneo League of Leaders(ALL) under and in cooperation with the Ateneo de Iloilo – Santa Maria Catholic School Student Council ‘08-‘09
From Our Point of View
Twenty-three years have passed since the bloodless revolution took place but the meaning and significance of that action still echo today. It not only spoke of the Filipinos’ freedom but also rid our country of a tyrant. It expressed the plea for an upright government to be established in order to mend the mistakes of the past.
Now, we may not see any improvements from our dismal political landscape but the 2010 Elections give us another chance to elect officials who will transform our country positively.
We believe that the elections present us with an opportunity to promote good governance. Solving our problems will not be an overnight activity but it requires time. Still, electing a knowledgeable and skilled President will give us a chance to see good governance come into play.
Good governance will establish discipline among the citizens. Government leaders can give good examples to each other and to the future leaders who will take their places. Efficient and honest leadership will motivate the followers to be upright and law-abiding citizens. This is what we call leadership by example. By next year, a new President will be sitting in the office of Malacañang. It is important that the citizens of this country elect a president who will lead not only the people but other government officials as well. We believe that corruption can be lessened if the highest-ranking official, that is, the President, sets a good example for his or her fellow public officials to follow.
Good governance will give this country hope. The youth can give this country hope. We, Filipinos, have the skills to become effective leaders. The thing is, we just lack the discipline of self-control once we assume that great responsibility of leading society. In the coming 2010 Elections, hundreds of thousands of the youth will add to the country’s current voting population. These new voters will represent the voice of the young, their opinions, particularly on who deserve to become the nation’s leaders. And as the country’s future leaders, we also believe that we can promise succeeding generation a better tomorrow. We, the youth, understand what is going on in this country. We also want to stop it. And in the best way we can, we believe that we are capable of contributing for the better change.
In the same way, as part of the youth, we hope that these words can somehow prove that we do understand and that we do care. We hope that in some way, the opinions that we have freely expressed here will make a difference.
By the
We hope that our messages will help you reflect on your choices for the Elections. We may not be able to vote now, but in a few years, we will. For now, we place our hopes on you – that you’ll be able to put competent leaders in office. After all, our future lies on the choices that you make. We hope that through this paper, choosing the names you will write in your ballot will be easier and more meaningful.
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