The election is nearly approaching and every eligible Filipino needs to vote on this day, the 9th of May 2022. It is our responsibility and right to choose our trusted and most competent candidate. But of course, we need to choose the person that our country needs.
So the question is, how will you choose your President? If you will ask me, here are my guidelines on how I will select and choose my chosen candidate.
Disclaimer: I will use the pronoun he, his, and him (if I need to) to refer to the candidate. However, it doesn't reflect my political views and is not a form of stereotyping or racism.
Educational background
Education matters, that's the fact. You will be the next leader of the country so you have to be intelligent and smart enough in this industry. As former senator Miriam Defensor Santiago mentioned, the true leader of the people must have these three essential characteristics; academic, professional, and moral excellence.
You have to think logically and professionally. The candidate must have a background in law and politics because I believe that it is the foundation of becoming a politician. Finally, the leader should know how to give respect to his people for his moral excellence. Not because you are a leader, people will always respect you. You, as a leader, should also know how to respect others.
Source: Rappler from YouTube.
Realistic promises
In the election season, running candidates love sugar-coating, making promises, and talking a lot about their platform. But once they win, they easily forget the things that they mentioned during the campaign. I am not generalizing, there are still politicians who are honest with their work. This is where realistic promises will be involved.
During the campaign, make sure that the platforms, plans, and promises of the candidate are realistic. Don't be easily hooked by the promise that they will give you ₱20,000.00 financial aid from the government each month because seriously, it is unrealistic, use your common sense and mathematics.
In my opinion, most candidates who promised about lowering the price of goods are unrealistic. How and why? According to my research, prices are set by companies, not by the government. So, who controls the price? Definitely not the government, however, when it comes to necessities, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) helps temper any price increase to protect the consumers.
Source: Philippine News Agency
Have a good rapport with the people
It is hard to manage a group when your group mates don't like you. Likewise, the leader will possibly have a hard time managing and ruling the country if the people hate him. This is why having a good rapport with the people is a must if you are a candidate.
I believe that a president who has a sense of humor is also a good idea, being a president is a serious matter, but learning how to communicate and interact with people normally is the best way to connect with the people. On the other hand, learn to be serious at serious times. The main point is that you must be connected to people and you know how to listen to them. As they said, a good leader is a good listener.
Dignity and Integrity
The leader must have dignity and integrity. You will be the leader and some people might treat you as their role model, this is why you need to respect yourself and know your worth. Be ashamed if you won because you bribed the voters. The leader must have no corruption issues. Our country is suffering from corruption in different organizations of the government. As a leader, be the model of the country and do your duty.
In my opinion, candidates who are doing vote-buying have a bad intention when they win the election. Simple logic, treat the money that they give to the voters as their investment and corrupt the people's money when they are elected.
Election Day is near, please vote for the most qualified President based on their background. Do not vote because of the popularity and hype, vote based on their “receipt”, remember that they will handle the citizens for six years and it is long enough for us to either suffer or celebrate if we choose the right or wrong candidate.
Nevertheless, don't let your political views dominate your relationship, life, and dignity. Sadly, I've been seeing Facebook posts about hating each other, suicide, hate from their mother, and calling attention while losing his dignity just because of different political views. Respect each other's opinions and vote wisely.
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