summer heat
Summer is one of the seasons of the year that I really long for. Not only for the no school days, the swimming, the vacations and the outing but also because of the summer I have to spend every three years.
People have different ways of spending their summer. Here in the Philippines, every three years we don’t only experience summer heat by the sun but also of the politics that gears the Philippine elections whether it be presidential or local. This is how I enjoy my summer every three years.
As far as I can remember young as I am, my most memorable summers were not that of those times when we went out of town. The ones which I consider memorable were the 1992, 1995, 1998, 2001 and 2004 elections. I have a different experience because I belong to a political family.
Every time I don’t know if I should be proud of it or not because it is a fact that politics is dirty. But, what can I do? It is in my blood. My father always tells me “Don’t let people call you a politicians daughter because I am not a politician, I am a public servant.”. That at least is a relief. But, I enjoy it though because of the wins and victories, I learned a lot and I grew up with the chaotic arena that I just can’t run away from.
On every three years I spend my summer differently from all kids my age. Instead of going off for a vacation, swimming and playing I spend it with people from different walks of life and ages. The way I enjoy my summer is through the experiences that to me is in exchangeable because getting to know people brings a lot of joy to me. To most people it is not normal, but to me it is never a toil that I’d get to talk and to shake hands with different people.
Instead of doing nothing or just taking a rest at home I enjoy my summers every three years, campaigning. It is when I am busy going around places with my father, I stand as his personal secretary and his representative eveytime there is a youth rally. It is so fulfilling to me that I’d get to go up on stage campaign for my father and take a stand for the principles that I grew up with.
People always call me “Ang alas sa iyang amahan.”(The father’s lucky charm.) because no other official in our place could bring along their kids to campaign. For those of my age serious campaign is a bore but to me I never want to miss it because it comes only ones in three years.
But don’t get my wrong. I don’t have plans of getting myself into Philippine politics. I already had enough of it since I was young. What I am trying to say, now that I am a voter myself and election is coming again is that, “No matter how young we are we should take our place in the Philippine elections.”. We are citizens of this country and so we should never be apathetic to what is going on around. We have the right to make a choice. We can pave way for the youth to become a voice in our government system.
