Mark Joel’s Blog

Concern for the common good may be considered a generic characteristic of Social Studies teachers. After all, it’s very difficult to teach about good citizenship and leadership if one doesn’t even truly believe or practice them. It requires a lot of talent to show a fake concern, for most of the people at least. So for a Social Studies teacher like me it’s a wonderful surprise if at least one of my students in class shares the same concern for the common good… so concerned for the common good of the Filipinos that to be a president is a desired goal. They really fascinate me because they may not realize in their present knowledge how difficult it is to serve as a president but at least the spirit of service is there. I believe for someone to dream of becoming a president a great desire to serve the people in the greatest way must be in the heart.

But since 2010 elections is coming and televisions are filled with political ads branded as “infomercials” of those who already want to campaign for their presidential bid, I wonder if what those politicians want is to truly serve the Filipino people. I need not to mention the figures, mass media have repeatedly mentioned how much money is being spent for those “infomercials”, to think that they are doing that many months ago, which is way before the campaign period. And once the campaign period starts, presidentiables will throw in more hundreds of millions just to ensure their presidency. To think that the president’s salary is just a small tiny fraction of what they spent in the election, and that a president’s hands are always full with the problems faced by this archipelago, I wonder if the position they want is worth the millions, or even billions, they spend. ‘Cause if I were them, I wouldn’t spend that much! Why? ‘Cause even though it is the highest position in the country, the power, glory, and honor of being a president may not even compensate for the number of problems you will be facing, not to mention the mockeries and character assassinations that you will receive both from your critics and from those disrespectful “crabs” who just want to pick and make fun of the president.

Only two kinds of persons would be ready to face those things. First is the person who truly desires to serve the Filipino people that he will withstand those things just to be able to serve. Second is the person who would just disregard both criticisms as well as the numerous problems just to take advantage of the position and make himself and his family very powerful (and wealthy). Now if you’re the politician who spends a lot of money just to make sure that you will win which of the two persons above are you? Think about it, if you are the first person above, will you spend your riches just to be ridiculed? Just to face problems that have been there decades ago and which people will attribute to you? You will spend a lot, of course, that’s part of the campaign. But “that much”?! And to think that you’re the one who’s going to do the people a favor by serving them? If that’s me, hell, no!

You got the point, right?

Of course we still need to know more about our candidates and not just judge them immediately, after all “things are, most of the time, more than what they seem to be”. But more or less what we have above is a fair logical guide in choosing our candidates. You see if one truly wants to serve, one wouldn’t “bribe” the people. The people are smart enough to choose who really wants to serve them. It’s not the pathetic who says that they will do “anything” just so that the people would know that they are ready to serve and provide change. And by “anything” they mean spending billions worth of “donations” from “friends” and joining the strongest political party to ensure their “service”. It’s the one who stick to the ideals of honor and dignity of campaigning; being the change that one wants the country to have. And by being the epitome of “change” one would do away from traditional popularity (“by money”) style of campaigning and would not stick to the political parties that will just drive your way to being there so that afterwards their will, and not the people’s, is “yours” to do. The Filipino people are smart and they should not be belittled by acts of trickery. They won’t work anymore.

If after looking back at the history of the Filipino people and while still watching them struggle today a great concern for their good will develop in one’s heart, a burning desire to be in the position where one will be of greatest help is not really a surprise. But that dream of becoming a president will not transform into heaven-like glory if that becomes a reality but rather into six years of stressful work in the palace of hell. After all, what is it really like to serve?

And how we want to serve will manifest in our every action, in our every breath.