Juan Call: A Better Leader for All

As of 2021, about 81% of the Philippine population is on Facebook. A large number of youth voters can be partially accredited to social media as information is easily accessible and readily available on the internet, leading many to take a more active role in the country’s socio-political affairs. The recent online roundtable discussion organized by the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) and Center for Liberalism and Democracy (CLD) attest to just one of the many movements of the youth for the nearing Philippine National and Local Elections. “Kabataan po kami lahat na organizers at volunteers. Naniniwala kami na mahalaga ang eleksyon na ito. (All of the organizers and volunteers are part of the youth sector. We believe that this election is important.), said Project Manager Lakan Uhay Alegre as he proudly opened the event.

On 29 April, the youth organizers from CALD and CLD hosted one of its activities for the campaign, “Juan Vote: Get out and Vote”. The roundtable discussion revolved around the pressing matters and issues such as healthcare, access to quality education, dis/misinformation, corruption, inequality, and how youth sees them to be addressed by casting a vote on the candidates that suit not only the wants of the limited population but also the needs of the general society.

The discussion entitled, “Juan Call, Juan Voice: What kind of leader do we need?” aims to help increase the voter turnout for the 2022 elections by educating Filipino youth on the basic values of democracy and civic duty transcending to responsible voting.

Overt Urgent Societal Issues and reciprocity to the Qualities of a Leader

The societal and economic problems that the Philippines is currently facing have always been the long-standing issues of the country. Lacking a substantive education system, political corruption, poverty, poor healthcare system, all of which hampers economic development and erodes the human worth and dignity of the increasing numbers of citizenry. Passing from administration to administration, what could be the implications of seeing and knowing these issues to critically identify the qualities and considerations in choosing the next leaders of the country? Will our votes reflect these identified qualities? 

As Dr. Frederick Rey, faculty member from the Sociology and Political Science Departments of the University of Santo Tomas and currently a municipal councilor in the province of Aklan, explained how actions are driven by intentions and it is usually based on profitability or sufficient information. “We are producing truths on our own level… kaya mahalaga ang truth production lalo na sa problema natin sa disinformation. (Which is why producing the truth is important, especially in combatting disinformation),” added Dr. Rey.

Just as how the people produce truth; lies or misinformation are also shaped by how people cultivate responsible decisions. People may identify their wants for a leader but as Dr. Rey pointed out, it is also crucial to look at the other dimension of voting which is the kind of voters who have the power to elect the rightful candidates. “The vote on May 9th should be about which government has a plan, which candidate has a track record of being present and a track record of being responsive because without it, voting will just be about a cult following”, said Dr. Aries Arugay, a Political Science Professor in the University of the Philippines.

Force and Power of Youth Vote

In this election cycle, the majority of the registered voters are youth. Dr. Arugay shared that in their ongoing study, 74% of the registered youth intend to vote on May 09 — this is way above national election turnouts in recent memory. However, whether or not the youth will vote in unison for one candidate is another story. Socioeconomic status, educational attainment, and preferred sources of information might have greater impacts on electoral decisions than age. Binibining Pilipinas 2021 2nd Runner-Up Meiji Cruz emphasized how this election cycle has encouraged and mobilized the youth to actually go out and advocate for the kind of leadership that they want and fight against disinformation both online and offline. 

Furthermore, GoodGov PH’s Dexter Yang noted that while voting is a major component, political participation should not be limited to it. He shared how their organization has been one of the frontliners in educating the youth on how to participate, especially in local governance through the mandates of the Sangguniang Kabataan Act. Through Yang’s leadership, San Pablo City has been a model of how to maximize Local Youth Development Councils to craft and implement progressive and responsive local youth agenda.

Accountability after Election

With how opinion poll results are going, Dr. Rey fears that many people, especially the young, will bear arms. While many volunteer groups and civil societies are grinding to make people not forget the horrors of martial law, electing the dictator’s namesake is within the realm of possibility. Nonetheless, Dr. Rey noted that this thinking can be positively interpreted as a collective effort to accountability. 

But then again, the panel echoed a hopeful future. The groundswell of support and volunteerism is an indication of people’s interest in a truly participatory government. The challenge now, as Dr. Arugay posed, is how to harness this potential after the elections regardless of who wins. “I think what we all want is a leadership that inspires to the point that it’s able to release the best version of the Filipinos”, Dr. Arugay added.