On the day we ‘shade the egg’

INQUIRER Metro asked young “millennial” voters from the 16 cities and one municipality making up Metro Manila about their thoughts on the 2016 elections. Let’s hear it from a generation whose raw but telling views can be both a reminder of failed promises and a source of renewed hope.

(First of a series)

IN THE 2016 elections, do candidates really know the needs of the people?

Among the issues that should be addressed, education tops my list. Are government-run universities, for example, really giving enough room for “poor but deserving students”—or allowing enrollees from rich families to outnumber them?

Next is poverty, which is the result when education is lacking. Back in my place, I remember how my childhood friends and classmates in a public elementary school would come out of their houses every morning in school uniforms. But while I managed to reach college, I started seeing many of them in aprons, working at fast-food restaurants, eateries or market stalls, unable to go beyond high school. Others got pregnant and started raising families at a young age. Many ended up unemployed like their parents.

And this is where politicians usually come into their lives. True, there are a number of politicians in Manila whom you can easily ask for help. Some of them offer scholarship grants, health assistance, etc.

—but often on a short-term basis and without consistency. I once accompanied a friend who went to claim the scholarship allowance he was expecting that day, but went home empty-handed. I could not forget his sad look. That kind of help must not stop an inch after the starting point; it must continue until (the beneficiaries) can stand on their own feet.

As for government services, we are all aware that if you want something immediately done by people (in the bureaucracy) you have to give some “padulas,” as they call it. Bribery is the most common way of avoiding the hassle of getting through all those procedures which we think are unnecessary. It makes us doubt the credibility of the government.

This is nothing new, but we must finally do something about the traffic in Metro Manila. Imagine a usual 15-minute drive becoming an hour-long trip just because of a road reblocking project? The government must be spending a lot on low-quality public works that need to be repaired after just a short period of time.

Soon, we will again be waking up to campaign jingles that remind us of the names we need to look for on the day we “shade the egg” on the ballot. Politicians who win in the next elections must return the favor to those who put them in office.