Empty promises

Election fever is heating up and one by one we are becoming witness to so many promises, some of which are either too good to be true or have already been done. Fake news is not just lingering around the corner but is, rather, in every nook and cranny, spotted most aggressively on social media. The question therefore still remains on whether or not the public has been vigilant enough to look at track records that reflect actual numbers on accomplishments that nevertheless, and at the very end of the day, hold real ground.

We are still in the middle of a pandemic and it has been difficult on everyone; however, at the height of it, it was very interesting to see convergence among local governments taking into account each other’s best practices in the fight against COVID-19, more so, being able to tap into existing programs that alleviate both hunger and job loss through alternative and sustainable means. In my book, such programs are more than worthy of a glimpse but also deserve a continuous and combined investment from both the private and public sectors.

Question is, are people really doing their homework? It seems to me that two things interest most people on social media – sensationalized issues and gutter politicking; after all, it can be funny, absolutely ridiculous and, let’s face it, much more exciting. But where’s the meat? That is the question when you look deep into content and it is my observation that only very few are interested; not to mention, the shallow comments that don’t really raise the bar on critical thinking, which is essential in every political exercise.

In other words, and at the very least, we ought to ask the right questions – something to date many of us are still ashamed to do or maybe shy away from. I’d like to think that, and along with others who believe that it is critical for us to keep ourselves abreast on current affairs that affect our country locally as well as internationally, finding correct data and doing our own diligent research is key in justifying our choices that would result to gains for the majority if not for all.

I do praise the folks that delve deep – many of them are real people I look up to. They have, in fact, been a real source of information that help us ponder about many things that need significant change. From my observation, there are still many folks out there who continue to be undecided. Perhaps they are silently doing their own research that would help them reach an ultimate decision. These are the people that I personally watch. The ones who have been quiet and are left to ponder as they observe the race from a distance. The ground is swelling – as to which way it swells, only real data matched with track records will serve as pillars for their decisions. Same goes for the swing votes.

Nevertheless, in the much anticipated race that we have come to know as Eleksyon 2022, track records for me are better rather than banking on empty promises that are impossible to keep.