Today, we headed to the Philippine Embassy here in Doha to exercise our right as a Filipino, thru absentee voting. Everything went well; starting from the checking of our names on the register, handing of ballots and explaining to us how it should be filled out, the machine reading and counting our votes, and lastly the printing of the receipt which showed us the candidates we voted for. This whole process lasted for about 10 – 15 minutes, since there’s not a lot of people in there by that time. Based on some writings I’ve read, there are some issues faced by our fellow OFWs, such as receipt printed is not the same as the one they’ve chosen, there are some candidates whose names are highlighted on the ballot and other stuff. This is the reason why I observed while inside the voting room, and to my relief, none of these happened, which I am hoping will also be the case on the election day.
Ever since the voting period here in abroad started (April 9), I have always included in my prayers the wisdom to properly choose the right candidates. Two days before I voted, I was still uncertain on who to elect as President. Should I go with the man who promises change through his different ways that lead to the peace, order and development of the province where he ruled; or the man who established his governance through various posts and departments that he held and promises to continue improving what the current administration has done for the country? Who did I choose? I will get into that later.
Like many other Filipinos, I also want change and progress for our country. Who would not want that? I’ve been to different countries, and what I always admired are the discipline that the people have as well as the effective governance of their leaders. May 9 is fast approaching. As of this writing, you still have 6 days to scrutinize each candidate so you can properly select whom to vote for. But before you do that, examine yourself as a citizen of this nation. Are you one of those screaming for change but do nothing? Or are you the one who is already doing a difference now? Regardless of your answer, what I would like to point out here is, change should start within us. The progress of our country should not be relied only on these candidates that we have chosen to elect, because no matter how good he/she is as a leader, the result will be nothing if we will still continue doing our same old not so good ways. Each of us have different roles to play in order to achieve one goal, and that is a Better Philippines.
So, who got my vote? I decided to support the RoRo tandem (I know, some of you might be raising your eyebrows right now, can you put it down please). I will no longer discuss here why I chose them, I have my reasons, I did my research, and I am convinced that their leadership is what our country needs. I’m not persuading you to vote for them. If you have different candidates in mind, then go ahead and vote for them. I believe that each of us have our own different views on all the candidates who are running right now, and what I am asking is for all of us to respect this. After all there is no right or wrong in whatever decision we will make on this election, as long as we think that it’s for the betterment of the country.
I know this may sound a cliché, but still, Vote Wisely. I am hoping and praying for a clean, fair, safe and brownout free election on May 9.
Maria Ingrid 