The positive within the 2016 campaign period

This year's campaign period has brought out the best and worst in the candidates and the supporters. Still, there are a number of developments that we can term as positive and we can be grateful for.

One is the Comelec effort. Bringing the issues to the voters through debates is a novel and productive mechanism that has caught the attention of Filipinos throughout the Philippines and abroad. Comelec has also tried to prevent campaign posters from being posted just anywhere. The Comelec website also contains updated information about voters' registration as well voters' profile. It's small but meaningful, productive, positive steps worth commending and worth continuing to raise the level of campaigns and politics among our people and to ensure clean and genuine elections.

The social media exchanges have also been very active. While there are instances of hate and negative messages posted, one can also observe the intent of several individuals and groups to raise the level of information and exchange through provision of solid data support and respectful and productive exchange of issues and claims. It seems that the Santiago, Binay, and Poe supporters are not as active online as those of the other two presidential candidates. For sure, however, all candidates and supporters are trying their best to reach out to different voters, online and/or out in the communities and so on.

The Catholic Church and religious groups must also find the exchanges enlightening and humbling seeing views expressed to defend God, His word, and His representatives. This religious sector may also find it distressing to see how much hate and divide among believers are expressed through media or through actions. The campaign must be making the religious group rethink ways to truly bring God into the hearts, minds, and behavior of believers.

It is also informative to learn about truthful and partisan reporting in media. Certainly, there is no doubt that newspapers, TV, and radio are very powerful tools for truth and/or for biases. This campaign period is allowing our people to be more discerning and to actively seek truthful and responsible reporting and coverage.

This 2016 campaign period is also allowing us to know more about our people, especially the good among them. Regardless of choice of candidates, except for some who prefer to resort to name-calling, disrespectful behavior, harassment even, many of our people have preferred to engage actively in their own simple, little ways, to be respectful, to raise the level of discussion and campaign to one where every Filipino will be benefitted in the search for truth and for the worthy leaders who will serve our people and God.

The campaign has also resorted to more calls for prayers, for God's guidance and will to take over during the campaign period and especially on the day of election. Many are feeling the positive effects of collective prayer in terms of more hope, more faith, and more love wished for the whole nation and all Filipinos.

On a personal level, Rudy Alix pointed to one positive result during this campaign period when he wrote: "I woke up feeling thankful for what is going on in this crazy campaign period. Because of the exchanges, I have come to know who my friends really are. They may come from my side or the other side, our opinions may differ or be much alike, and yet we keep our RESPECT for each other and RE-AFFIRM FRIENDSHIPS above the indignation and noise. I am also thankful for new-found friends, strangers and acquaintances whom I barely read about before, those who shared my opinions and privately kept my pugnacity and balance in check, those who reminded me of God's word over and over again, those who provided consolation after a worthy battle, those who simply found cause to laugh at situations, and many more reasons."

As the May 9 election draws nearer, may the positive outweigh the negative during the campaign period. Regardless of the results, regardless of whether the winners are our candidates or not, let us emerge from this political period, refreshed, our faith in God and our people renewed, and united to start anew another six years of collective, collaborative initiatives together, as one people, as a nation of true believers and practitioners.

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