Reflections on the Midterm Elections

 

By Leo Lusañez 

Today, many of us will vote. Our choices shall inform this country's trajectory for the next few years. At this time, I would like to reflect on events both past and present and explain my primary rationale for voting tomorrow.When I voted in the last election, I knew full well that my candidates would not win. Nevertheless, I put ink on paper as a matter of principle. I held on to the dream of seeing a more dynamic political landscape that would see equality of opportunity - the most attractive aspect of any liberal democracy - realized.

But in that last election, I also learned that idealism must be tempered - and sometimes brought down to earth - by knowledge of what's on the ground. 

The reality is that the Philippines is not a liberal's haven. Political abstractions aside, our country's culture decidedly frowns upon individuality. Everyone is expected in some way to contribute to society, and the manner in which one's contributions are best acknowledged is contingent upon the satisfication of the common good.

For years, my greatest problem with this idea has always been the concept of majoritarianism. I have always felt that the weight of society's preferences had severely hindered my ability to choose how I wish to grow.

In childhood, I was a voracious reader of encyclopedias. But I had to keep those interests hidden because my peers were more physically inclined. I had to keep up with them or be left out. It was always their preferences weighing over mine. And worse - I never really kept up anyway.

When I grew up and became a young adult, my choices were similarly limited. The Philippines does not exactly have the most empathy or support for any courses beyond STEM. I graduated as an AB English student, and time and again, I was urged to take up teaching or lawyering, as had many of my own batchmates.

But, being an eccentric, years of refusal had caused me to languish in the BPO industry and, more recently, the VA industry. Neither of these are what I ultimately wanted for myself, but alas, these are necessary stepping stones.

In nearly all my years of life, I have been constantly gaslit into feeling that I wasn't applying myself well enough to thrive. But that wasn't it: I always thrived in areas where I could grow in my own way. I would only shrivel when limits are imposed upon me, and sadly, that has mostly been the case for outliers such as myself.

So as you can probably tell, every election has a personal component for me. It is not only the exercise of a right so sacred; it is my own subtle way of expressing dissatisfaction against a culture that habitually puts down people like me in favor of what is "common" and "good" - common good.

But it's not just about my own beef with society either. The Philippines is a multicultural country, but centuries of forced centralization have ultimately served to hinder its growth and suppress our knowledge of other cultures.

This has directly limited the opportunities available to people, particularly in the margins. If you go to the north, you will see dozens of skyscrapers, railways, toll gates, malls so huge you could literally get lost in them. Every single indicator of prosperity is there for people to see.

By contrast, there are only a few high-rises where I live. No railway system to speak of and so much unused open spaces. You also don't see a lot of politicians on the national level who are eager to advance our region's interests. Equality of opportunity and representation are a pipe dream where I come from.

Taking all of these into account, my opinion is that the election isn't just about elevating people who have sound universal policies. The Philippines is not a purely meritocratic society, nor has it proven itself commited to meritocracy, so for me it doesn't make sense to elect people just on the basis of what they have achieved or what laws and bills they have passed.

The prevailing theme of this election, more than just giving or denying the executive branch its much-needed mandate, is the balancing act of electing politicians who are both competent and capable of representing your region's interests.

Far too often have we seen credentialed politicians fail to speak up for the periphery. It isn't that they are inutile - it's the fact that they have been so deluded by the idea of national unity that they have failed to take note of the grievances of those in the margins.

Politics in this country is not just divided between socioeconomic classes. Nor is quality of life and cost of living the only significant issue - it's political representation as well.

My choices, therefore, hinge upon these particular considerations.

I do not know how you people intend to vote, nor do I intend to impose my choices.

But however you vote, I hope you remember that merit is not everything. It is an essential pre-requisite, but wholly insufficient in a country that has demonstrated time and again its inability to nurse the grievances of those in the margins.