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America governed the Philippines from 1898 until 1946, after winning it from the Spanish as war-spoils. As America are today such well renowned democracy promoters, prizing the vote over almost everything else, including it would seem of late, even life and personal safety, it is interesting to examine what they managed to achieve when given a free reign for over 50 years. Of course, as the Philippines have been self governing since 1946, it is also a look at how they have shaped their own political system.
Today, Philippine national politics is dominated by a few wealthy families and their supporters. There are 2 main political parties however it is not particularly helpful to think of these in terms of U.S. or British parties; while American or British citizens could tell you roughly what the Republicans as opposed to the Democrats stand for, or the Labour party as opposed to the Conservatives; Philippine political parties have no such core values, instead what the party stands for tends to fluctuate on the whim of those in charge. Members of the parties will frequently switch; in the higher echelons which party they favour tends to be based on whether or not they themselves are in favour with the president, and lower down in provincial or municipal offices it depends on the economic and political support they are receiving from both above and below on the political ladder.
Allow me to explain the system from a municipal level – as it was explained to me (in British terms a municipality can be thought of as a large town and its surrounding villages). When a family is reasonably comfortably off, they have put their children through school and they have enough in savings to cover any medical problems which may arise, if they are ambitious and self promoting they often become interested in politics. Now they will need to start to buy support. It is typical in Philippine culture that money is shared, people who have give to those who have not. On your birthday you are expected to provide food and drinks for as many people as you can afford. The rich are expected to sponsor poor relations’ children through school. This generosity has spread into the political system. It is expected that those running for office should be rich (note, not that they should be educated or have values in line with those of the voters) as this wealth will then trickle down to the populace. They are expected to host a number of parties, feeding all who attend, s/he will donate money to local schools and institutions; sponsor poor but promising children through their education and basically give money out at every occasion, and there are a lot of occasions in the Philippine calendar. Through these “donations” the hopeful candidate will gather support, with the most blatant “support gathering” coming in the days and weeks before a municipal election when friends, relatives and supporters of the candidate will go into the streets of the towns and villages with literally bags of cash, and votes are bought. Well, pledges to vote are bought. This is such an open phenomenon that shops and malls throughout the country stay open late into the night before elections as everyone who has just received their bribe rushes to the shops to stock up on the latest mobile phones and shoes.
The obvious downside to vote buying is that the people who end up running the show are not those with the best economic sense, or those with sound environmental policies but the richest. However, this accusation could of course be leveled at several countries in the developed world, countries who would throw up their hands in horror at the idea of such blatant vote buying.
The other problem is that someone somewhere has to pay. However rich the family running for mayor is the money has to come from somewhere, either from ill gotten gains or from loans, and the loans are normally from those above them on the political ladder. In order to gain support from the barangays (villages) and municipalities those in the provincial government (with a province being something akin to a British county) give out money to those running for offices below them. And the money they are handing out is usually money that has been given to them by the national government. Of course the national government doesn’t necessarily mind that money is going to buy support rather than to build roads, they like to have a wide support base as much as anyone.
So, the second problem with vote buying is that instead of money being ploughed into public services it goes into peoples pockets. I am not saying this is right, but it presents an interesting problem. As long as basic public services were provided, such as roads, university buildings, water, sewerage (although of course in much of rural Philippines there is no sewerage or water system), would people prefer that every three years they got given a large amount of money? As opposed to the current situation in the UK for example, where the public are never given any money by the government (quite the opposite in fact) and getting a health and education system that is the basis for nearly every complaint in the UK? What if the government said – here is £10,000, you may use it as you wish but we would recommend that you pay for your own health care and a public school education?
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Kat Birch
Kat Birch, The Philippines
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meddahi | Sep 11th, 2007
Poet self Mdahi holiday Tuesday, September 11, 2007
This poem from long Sea
If the language of the nation cared / / crafts distinguish good meteor
Given the culture of advanced science / / Ftnejo affairs of Alanattab
If developed mentality will rise tomorrow / / boy sterility affects of depression
How stewardship which Bamth / / sponsored order subscription
Krakb boat waves hampered / / grandparents above them much tortured
Impressed with the boy wonder people gospel / / cynically Emsegha Balaatap
If one apart from the Humane / / broadside he fillings insults
We have even imagined of thirst / / Mirage pool oasis of drink
Seen from the shadows and Arva Nkhilha / / What is the only Hage and Mirage
Ahatha and had been reflected from the sand / / Freet them from approaching
The creative writer does not have salute / / platforms nation despite Admonition
As defined on that might distinguish / / mixing between Alemtemen book
The ignorance in the land by the camp / / As far tents night fog
Why not support the pupils before / / perceptions lost in vain in the sand
Why not appreciate the loving hearts / / flowers, which disperse Despite the Odds
Our guide Rahika of Shahid / / Itrishveh after it is played
What poetry only source of water had heart / / governance which came correctness
Every question find answer / / tomorrow after the effort of young minds
Each talents can not / / unswerving desire of attraction
Attiya talents mocked before / / embryos to be Balantjab
That Fadlallah; before / / one sees blesses approaching
Nor heeded including discouraging Mwahba / / go to their Kalshab
This new poem containing the 40th house of poetry balanced Ahdiha to the whole world
Estimated literary works of the human mind it is estimated that respects creative minds
In all the critical areas that benefit all of humankind
The poetry good reason to Makarim, morality, love and tolerance among the people
He felt that should Redgrave's even a small gesture of organizations dealing with global literature and I hope my critics and poets that do little
To Mohpti Poetic which suffer from lack of funding because I have the material obtained at the Postgraduate Certificate enable me to work there - I do this heavy talent
You appreciate that very well, I need to continue to aid logical literary
I do not want palaces and tall high-class cars
But I want to recognize my Khar and some material assistance
Because the debt accumulated me Is Assistant Thank poet self
Mdahi FEAST
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