TL

The recent events that unfolded in the last two years should give us pause to rethink the criteria we use in voting for our public officials. Anyone can become mayor or a governor, or a president even, but not everyone can become an efficient and effective crisis manager when once-in-a-century catastrophe and tragedy befall us.

The COVID pandemic has unmasked and uncovered what we really are in a crisis situation. And although some did their best with whatever they had, there are others who failed epically--and miserably. As such, it was their constituents who suffered most.

Here in Laoag City, the response and the pandemic rose and fell, and as much as much was promised, to call whatever promised was realized an  under-delivery is a tragedy in itself. The full lockdown of whole barangays without the subsequent and sufficient help and aid, became more troubling for those who were caught in the middle; forbidden to go to work but without any ample government relief in any way or form. By any measure, the supposed public servants could not serve the people in the best way possible. And we are now thankful that elections are bunched closer than they should really be, otherwise, we'd end up ranting and raving for help, compassion, and honest-to-goodness public service for far longer.

Reality, at times, is stranger than fiction. The 2019 pandemic was almost as cinematic as it was apocalyptic—without any happy endings in sight. The world as we knew it has ended and all the norms and our lives' patterns had to change to adapt to the alarming times. And with it, we should look for elective officials who will care more for their constituents than for themselves and their minions.

Voting for more familiar surnames—whether genuine or hyphenated—wouldn’t cut it anymore. What we should realize is the simple fact that there are others more suitable for the job but without the requisite familiar and powerful political surname.

They are waiting in the wings, hoping the electorate will realize by next year that they are more capable and open to the idea of becoming a public servant we both need and deserve.

Thoughtful Leadership should be the first criteria. Actually caring and doing is far better than issuing motherhood statements that mean nothing and amount to nothing.

Tough Love, more so for city hall employees who prefer to gossip and tune to their respective mobile phones instead of entertaining their clients. Inefficiency is the brother of corruption.

And someone who Talks Less and do more; talks directly to the people—in their own language, no less—and without the theatrics but with the sincerity and honesty to Truly Lift the people from the quagmire of this pandemic.