Fellow millennials, your votes matter

I hope that you could take time to read this letter amidst all your Tweets, Instagram posts, Facebook statuses and Snaps. You may not know me and I may not know you but we find ourselves, once again, at odds during the most crucial moment for our country. This Monday, the future of the next six years of our lives will depend on our votes.

Don’t worry, I will not sweet-talk you into thinking that my candidate is better than yours as I have come to an understanding that we all have different perspectives and principles towards certain matters.

I am only here to assure you that your vote will matter, despite many of your doubts. I know that you no longer believe in the value of your votes and that you’d rather be apathetic. 

I, too, may have lost complete faith in this flawed system but I have not lost faith in you—the hope of our nation.

Our government is and still continues to be, imperfect, but then again, there is nothing perfect in this world. It has failed us countless of times to the point that it has become harder for us to trust them again.

I guess I can’t blame you for thinking that way either since our country has been battling injustice for years. We have had our own fair share of ups and downs. We have survived the hardest battles, weathered through the toughest storms and we have risen from the ashes countless times. But you know what? Beneath all the sufferings of this country, we continue to be resilient and to remain hopeful as ever.

I know that you’re scared and confused with what is about to happen. The future may seem uncertain at the moment but it will all make sense soon enough.

I also know that you’ve looked far and wide for change. The truth is, you need not look further since you are already looking at it through the mirror. Yes, you’re staring at a reflection of yourself because real change comes from within us. We cannot put the entire weight to one person only. Change has to start with each and every single one of us.

You may often doubt yourself for being too young to know these things. But, guess what? It doesn’t matter. There is nothing prohibiting you from believing in what you think is right. No one is ever too young nor too old as long as we are all fighting for the same things that continue to plague our society with injustice. No one has the right to question you for your own beliefs.

As the hope of this nation, we hold the key to the future. Let us not allow temporary sensibilities to cloud our emotions and make decisions that will have a lasting impact on each of us. This is the time for us to be aware, to be critical and to take part in the decision our country must make. It is up to us to choose the kind of future we want for this country.

As I end this letter, I hope you use your key wisely. The elections may end, but I urge you to keep the fire burning. Do not stop caring just because it isn’t happening anymore. Continue dreaming and believing for a better nation for the entire Filipino people and the generations to come. As long as there are people out there who continue to hope, nothing is impossible. – Rappler.com

Darla Jan Belleza is an 18-year old, BA Mass Communications freshman from the University of the Philippines Cebu.