A young Cebuano’s message to 2016 presidential aspirants

Juli Ann Sibi

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'If our potential presidential bets truly want to win the hearts of Cebuanos, they should try and learn more about the local situation'

For 24-year-old jeepney driver Eloysius Dagani, the visits of our 3 potential presidential bets on Monday, August 24, in Cebu City created a traffic dilemma because of last-minute rerouting and even partial road closures.

With a tired smile, he told me that he wasted so much gasoline while traversing his route because of the traffic. He hopes though that these possible candidates will speak about issues that really matter to Cebuanos.

Three potential presidential bets — Manuel Roxas, Jejomar Binay, and Grace Poe — were in Cebu, talking to various audiences about their plans for 2016. 

Roxas, the administration bet spoke out in the Liberal Party’s ‘Gathering of Friends’ in the Cebu Coliseum on continuing the fight against corruption through ‘Daang Matuwid’, and the changes it has done.

Binay, from opposition party UNA, arrived on Sunday, and spoke to several sectors —businessmen, market vendors, residents of Cebu’s mountain barangays, and even to churchgoers at Sto Niño Church. He spoke to them about allegations against him, and his dire want to clear the air.

Poe was supposedly in Cebu to support her friend Mike Lopez on his show “Open Mike” on MyTV.” She was also reportedly invited by the Tingog student political party of the University of San Carlos to visit the school during the opening of their USC Days Intramurals.

There, Poe had an ‘on-the-spot’ speech about her plans for student benefits, job opportunities, and faster internet connection. Afterwards, students online called her out for “politicizing” a school event.

As Cebu has over 2.5 million registered voters, it’s clear as day, why any candidate would flock to Cebu — it’s to win the hearts and votes of a huge mass of voters that would affect their election prospects greatly.

Cebu as a critical electorate

Although campaign period has hardly begun, Cebu has always been perceived as a province of uncertainty during elections, which is why, most likely, the 3 presidential bets were in Cebu.

Proof alone is that in the 2010 Elections, Cebu won the Liberal Party several seats in the Senate and in congressional positions, despite it being a province of One Cebu, which openly urged Cebuanos to support Gibo Teodoro’s LakasKampi-CMD party back then.

  

Hence, the island has always been a place where citizens view candidates based on their own viewpoints, and not on public opinion, or on political family allegiances.

Yet, the three potential presidential bets, who had the chance to speak to thousands of Cebuano voters, failed to make strong points about problems that truly matter to the Cebuano community.

Learn about Cebu’s situation first

If our potential presidential bets truly want to win the hearts of Cebuanos, they should try and learn more from the local situation. In the previous months alone, Cebuanos have been particularly strong on issues such as sustainability, human rights, and youth involvement.

Some time last month, the Cebu City government proposed the removal of over 34 trees as part of its center-island removal project in a major road called the Pope John Paul II Ave.

Public outcry forced the city government to postpone the project repeatedly. Only 11 trees will be moved to the sidewalk where there is a higher assurance of survival. 

But how sure are we that our future local government officials will heed the public’s call to protect the environment?

Meawhile, demolition with no proper relocation have become rampant in the city in the last few weeks. Until now, fire victims last year who were promised relocation sites have not been given assistance.

Plus, round-ups, or “rescue missions” of mendicants before international events have placed the Cebu City local government in hot water, as there is no concrete long-term plan for these mendicants who are currently staying in one of Cebu’s public gyms.

With all these happening in Cebu, its youth component has been full to the brim with solutions to address the problems in their own ways. Yet, the lack of government support for their endeavors is evident.

Fighting empty rhetoric 

Although they have been involved in crafting some policies at the city level, many youth groups are still struggling to be heard. If our potential presidential bets want Cebuanos to believe that they are running for the greater good of Cebuanos, and Filipinos in the long run, understanding the local scenario in the various places they visit is vital. 

Each province, each city, has its own set of problems, and having national platforms that can address these problems in the end can really help candidates show citizens their “pure” intentions. Saying you’re against corruption without saying how you’re going to stop it won’t help.

Saying the government has failed the people, while you, an active member of said government, have done nothing about it won’t help.

Empty rhetoric won’t help a candidate, especially not in Cebu. If a regular jeepney driver can see that, it’s hard to swallow how people who claim to be fighters for the good of the Filipino people cannot. – Rappler.com 

Juli Ann Sibi, a student of the University of the Philippine – Cebu, is a Rappler Mover. 

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