EVERY story has a protagonist who will most likely face tough challenges along the road of uncertainty. To reach their ultimate goal, they must work and endure all the hardships that they will encounter. Most importantly, protagonists should always carry a spark of inspiration for them to feel motivated and make their efforts worthwhile. 

The same goes for the 2022 National Elections. We, the young generation, are fueled by the desire to get a firm grasp on good governance. This common goal makes us part of a story where we have the power to vote for the next set of leaders our country needs. Although, this won’t come easy for there are opposing forces that will surely cause complications and division in the voting process. 

A New threat Arises

For the first time in Philippine history, the national election was held during a pandemic. When COVID-19 first hit the country, many speculations were made concerning the number of voters because it was seen as a major inconvenience to the public, especially for first-timers. According to a Pulse Asia survey last June 2021, almost half of Filipinos refused to participate in the elections if COVID cases were high. Looking back, this is understandable since no one would want to put their health and family at risk. Not to mention, the country didn’t have enough access to anti-COVID supplies nor was it ready to hold such a massive event. 

By April 2022, most of the population had already been vaccinated. In addition, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) requested at least P1.5 billion for COVID-19 supplies and with huge additional expenses, it became the country’s most expensive election. After safety measures were established, there were about 65M registered voters, 56% of which were the youth. Although there was still a possibility of contracting the virus, it was admirable that Filipinos — both young and old — practiced their right to vote. It truly is a display of Filipino duty: to vote for the country’s future despite the risks involved. 

"You(th) Be the Change"

According to The Philippine Inquirer, Filipinos are among the top global consumers of social media. When the pandemic started, communication was mostly done online.  Despite the face-to-face restrictions, Gen Zs and millennials are using social media in different ways to bridge society into selecting the best candidates. Janine Tan (II-BAP) mentioned, “The 2022 Elections incited the youth to use their voices and really push for what they believe in.” 

This may be done in the form of sharing factual data through postings and hosting online campaigns and events that help educate voters to become well-informed and aware. And by obtaining the right kind of information, people can avoid falling into deception and confusion. So, even if we’re confined in our homes, we must not let our limitations become our weakness. To attain good governance comes with the will to act for change. 

The Elections and Beyond

Three months since the elections ended, there is still so much to take in from this experience. Of course, there are good and harsh realizations that stemmed from this event. We must take these lessons and let them be our wake-up call.

 Tan said, “The takeaway that I learned from this year’s election is that the Philippines’ political system is not yet well established.” Since there is no maximum number of running candidates, it often results in conflict, she added. 

On a positive note, Fritzen Aldaba, (II-BAP) shared, “Ang lesson ko dito, is that, although our candidates did not win the national election, for us to have a better tomorrow, we have to just support whoever is sitting.” He further added  that we should be optimistic yet also criticize their misconduct. 

The elections may have ended last May 9, but that doesn’t close our chapter — it only means that there is still much work to be accomplished. We should always be reminded that we still have an active role to play which involves the lives of each Filipino. The public should be vigilant because there will be adversities along the way that will surely challenge us from attaining good governance.