Reflection Paper

1. Elections are not just about voting candidates into or out of office. These are not merely about the
change of names and faces. Elections are about the transfer and legitimation of power. Should we take
a step forward to usher in a new (or reformed) governance system or take two steps back to restore an
old, tarnished, and contested rule?
2. Elections should not be about those who run for office. It is about the people who should be served —
their needs, rights, interests, and demands. Don’t we all deserve a new government that helps more (or
mostly) the vulnerable and the marginalized while seeking to protect all regardless of any markers of
differences?
3. People cannot be restrained or constrained. Filipinos are resilient. True. But when it’s their future
and their loved ones’ future at high stake, they mobilize and organize. Doesn’t the spirit of
volunteerism we all witnessed renew and give new meaning to the Filipino’s “bayanihan,” from that of
communal cooperation to collective action and accountability?
4. Conventional politics must end. Political parties cannot effectively steer the public space until
genuine political party reforms are made. Shouldn’t we sustain the “people’s movements” seeking to
expand the political space available and bring in the concerns of everyday life that are silenced by
dominant powers operating in the society?

Submitted To: Mrs. Annabel O. Tan

Submitted By: Shyla Mae T. Baguio