Valentino, Lyka Alyssa G.

Sec 2 – PSC1102
Journal Entries
Through my eyes: what Politics is?
Politics can be viewed in plentiful ways more than one – whether we use the etymological, traditional, or
the modern definition. One definition that stuck to me like a piece of gum was viewing Politics as an
activity where people talk and disagree most of the time due to their beliefs clashing causing a great
divide between both resulting in conflict. In class, Sir Agnes gave us the freedom to write words that we
can relate and associate with Politics – I remembered two words from Heywood’s book, Politics. Conflict
and Cooperation were the two words that I wrote. My classmates offered different words in relation to the
term given to us. Throughout the whole discussion, one of the ideas that remained imprinted on my mind
was this one word – Dirty. Politics is dirty, one described.
From this, I vividly recall a memory of my grandfather talking about how politics is the dirtiest plate in
the kitchen whenever both he and my uncles argue about politics and the state of our country today. I
remember speaking out and getting shot down for expressing my opinions about politics by my own
family members often telling me that I was too young to be involved in such matters. I remember being
painted as someone who is political, whenever I say my opinion about martial law. I remember being told
that for a woman, I sure do know politics. I never took them as an insult. For one reason, I wanted to
understand why these factors were important in just discussing politics and that’s the reason why I took
Political Science. Maybe, it was out of spite, but I wanted to know. I wanted to know why I was being
held back in speaking my mind? Was it because the youth is painted as apolitical? Was it because I am a
woman? I wanted to find answers. Maybe that’s why I’m here inside the university premises, constantly
reading and learning. One question has already been answered. Being told that I was too young to engage
in political discussions made me realize that one does not need to be older or to be a politician to engage
in politics because it’s my right as a member of the youth and that is in accordance to Section 13, Article
2 of the 1987 constitution that delivers the constitutional foundation for youth empowerment in the
country. Politics has always been part of everyone’s lives – whether they realized it or not. Politics is
everywhere. Politics is everywhere where there is conflict, power, and authority. I wanted to explore more
about Politics in terms of Gender because I think it is very timely in today’s context – where women
leaders are being amplified in the world of Politics. My biggest take away from our lesson today is that in
order to understand Politics, we must understand what the word means. Because words are not just words,
they hold history and help understand the meaning – in thought and action.
Politics is not dirty.

Today, we discussed how Politics is not dirty. Conceptually speaking. Politics in concept is perfect but
the one exercising them is imperfect.

I recall the famous quote of Froman, “Man by nature has dual tendencies, one towards the good and one
towards the bad.” I recall hearing someone at some point telling me that there are no good and evil people
– just people with different agendas.
In the context of Philippine politics at this point in time, we can never be certain of who we can trust.
Considering the fact that most politicians today are already painted as corrupt. Which is why I understand
why some voters are presented with two choices when it comes to the national elections, it’s either they
abstain from voting or maybe in some desperate circumstances, they just pick the person that is the one
who is the lesser evil. Looking back to our history made me realize that there are always two parties
fighting for votes. In which it was discussed in a reading given to us entitled, The Philippine Political
Party System by Carl H. Lande.

Come to think of it, it is quite ironic in the sense that despite having two groups - we are still represented
by the elite in politics. The same elite who know nothing about the struggles of the mass during those
times, how can one represent something they haven’t experienced? was a question that remains in my
mind that was left unanswered.

Philippine Politics: Hard Pill to Swallow.

After discussing a brief history of how the Philippines is ruled by the same oligarchic system, it
made me uncomfortable to know that the very same people seated in those government positions
today are heirs of those politicians who were once seated in those. It is true when they say
that once you open your eyes, it’s a sin to keep them close – to which can be interpreted as being
able to know that something is wrong and to ignore it.
Disappointment strikingly makes its way to me as I realize that, was this the future that our
national heroes died for? The Malolos Constitution was made up of the elite members of the
society; there never was any real representation of a Filipino that struggled in their social class –
Most members of are made up of ilustrados. Ironic, how ilustrados mean enlightened one but
those seated are not enlightened enough to think about the importance of representation in
nation-building. It’s sad to think that our national heroes died for freedom just for our fellow
Filipinos to give it away by surrendering to the Americans. We continued to struggle for our own
freedom. We continued to be under the same government of educated elites. There is always a
struggle for us to get the freedom that we aspire to have. Despite having the rights and the
government to run our own country, we are still under the watchful eyes of our colonizers. We
defeated a dictator however one must remember that one may cut the head of a hydra but beware
for one, two grow back; we may have defeated greater evil, but evil will always rise. Was this
the result of the people's power revolution? How many more revolutions does it take for us to be
finally free of the grasps of oppression? Then tragedy hits you suddenly. Were we ever really
free from oppression? From foreign colonizers to even to our own fellow Filipinos - the elite
– were we ever really free? What happened to the saying, Ang kabataan ang pagasa ng
Bayan? Numerous generations have passed that saying from one generation to
another, but everything remains the same until to this very day.
“What happened to our country?” One would ask.
I am afraid that one day my spark of hope for a better future in our country may burn out and
eventually die just like the past generations that had passed. Did we ever really learn from
history? It is not true that history repeats itself because we, the people of today, repeat history. I
continue to feel sad whenever I remember that we are stuck in a cycle. Stuck in a cycle, where
we continue to our own lives and continue to hope for a better future. Maybe, it’s indolence and
the lack of initiative. It’s hard to unlearn what we are used to; what makes us who we are but that
doesn’t mean it’s impossible. We, the children of tomorrow, can still do something about it. We
can still rewrite the future, but this is only possible if everyone acknowledges that there is a
problem in our society today.

The only way to really solve a problem is to first admit that there is one.
My biggest takeaways were:

Philippine Politics and its Governance strongly relies on the ideas of the west and that instead of having
our own, we use another country's idea of development.

It made me realize that our culture is not as authentic as we think it is because we have our own
localized version of what those in the west have which by far made me realize that going to back to
what actually a Filipino is makes me think that

Our idea of development shouldn’t be based on how other countries improve themselves but rather on
how we can sustain and improve in our own way.

Politics is not only limited inside on institution it occurs everywhere where there is conflict power and
authority.

6. Perhaps one of the most important takeaways that sparked inside my mind that in order to be
successful country the people and their government should work together and also in order to achieve
this; proper communication and settlement of differences should happen. After all the government
should be one for the people and not the government and its people.