Political campaign advertisements have hit the screens, and, as in previous election years, it’s mostly cotton candy—feel-good, do-good motherhood statements.
But where’s the meat?
Given the nature of TV ads—the short format (longer than 30 seconds and you lose the audience) and the cost to air them frequently— it’s understandable that what the candidates are going for is simply public awareness and recall. That’s what song-and-dance numbers are for.
However, a carefully crafted and well-written message can pack in a wealth of detail in 30 seconds, and in order to make informed decisions, voters need to know what the candidates can do for the country.
In other words, where are their platforms?
The various campaigns in general are also muddled when other issues are brought up. Rodrigo Duterte initially chose to assail Grace Poe on her citizenship, an added burden for her to bear on top of the disqualification cases launched against her—combatting ‘spin’ at the same time as the actual cases.
Mar Roxas also cast shade on Poe despite previously approaching her to be his running mate; his partymates later claiming, “We thought she was natural-born.” It’s difficult to believe that they did not discuss or check the implications of this make-or-break qualification to run.
Why can’t candidates on all levels just run based on their platforms, on their proposed solutions to problems? In this country, muckraking and mudslinging are among the methods of campaigning. Can we not aspire to a higher level of democracy and a more logical, rational, and dignified manner of engagement? Let’s keep it to what matters—their platforms and their proposed action plan.
What we want to know is, how are they going to unravel the traffic tangle in the metro? Fix the MRT mess? Eliminate the laglag-bala menace? Give justice to the slain lumad? Do something about the outrageously high cost of electricity and the slow broadband speeds and weak digital communication signals? Sustain and strengthen the economy and share its gains with the quarter of the country’s population living under the poverty line? Candidates, do you have a plan? Not only a primary plan, but also a backup plan and a Plan C?
Many of the ills our country suffers from are problems of management and logistics, such as those related to infrastructure. We aren’t even bringing up yet the greater issues of sovereignty and national defense. We’re talking basic household level management here. The country has some of the finest managers on the planet—in fact, we export them abroad as OFWs. We do not lack talent, skills, nor knowledge. How come we cannot get our own home in order?
Granted, not one administration can solve all the nation’s problems right away. But improvements to old or inherited problems should already be felt and solutions to new problems developed, implemented, enforced.
What we need is a president who can get things done, and who has the political will to get things done as they should be.
Viewers of political ads should be discerning and separate the rice from the chaff, because advertisements are positioned to present the candidates in the best light. What will they do in office, if ever? What’s their track records? What are their accomplishments so far? What are their plans for the future?
Make it easy for yourselves, voters—focus on the platforms.
* * *
Congratulations to the winners of the 34th National Book Awards, held Dec. 5 at the National Museum.
The event was organized and hosted by the National Book Development Board and Manila Critics Circle “to recognize and celebrate the best books published in 2014.”
Among the awardees are Joselito de los Reyes for Filipino Essay, “Istatus Nation”; Rey Ventura, English Essays, “Cherry Blossom in the Time of Earthquakes and Tsunami;” Nikki Alfar for English Short Stories, “Wanderlust”; J. Neil Garcia for English Literary Criticism/Literary History, “The Post-Colonial Perverse vol. 1”; and Marne Kilates for English Poetry, “Time’s Enchantment and Other Reflections.”
The full list of awardees is posted at the NBDB website.
* * *
Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Instagram: @jensdecember, Blog: http://jennyo.net