Statement: 2010 elections a challenge in advancing people's governance

We, educators have a pivotal role in ensuring people's governance, or the kind of governance that truly promotes the democratic rights of citizens. As teachers, we instill in the youth not only the qualities that a Philippine leader must possess but also the importance of a government that responds and fights for the people's welfare. It is our task that the youth become well-informed citizens who are committed to social change as the country's direction in the decades to come lies in their hands.

Within such a demanding task, the May 2010 elections poses a challenge for us educators. While we believe and teach our students that the elections is among the means for delivering change in the country, this election period unfortunately missed out on highlighting the people's demands and like previous exercises have centered on images and generalized, if not confusing, messages.

First, the aspiration of every Filipino for fair, honest and orderly elections seems farfetched at this time. We find it unsettling that cheating in the coming elections is already a given, with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) taking inadequate steps to dispel this fear. Many also worry that the automated elections have been designed to create conditions for fraud, electoral disorder, and possible failure of elections.

Second, we believe that the seeming resistance of the Arroyo administration and its clique in relinquishing power contributes to the already unstable political situation. Even as Filipinos look forward to a peaceful transition of a new government, history has made it clear to us that insatiable greed for power should not be taken lightly and that we should remain as vigilant as ever.

Third, we find that the May 2010 elections do not hold the promise of meaningful change in governance if we simply rely on the profiles and platforms of the leading presidentiables. Candidates have misleadingly built an image of reform and pro-poor stance, but which becomes a stark contrast when compared with their anti-people stand on urgent issues. They have yet to respond in concrete terms their plans in advancing people's welfare through adequate budget for social services and the scrapping of regressive taxes such as VAT for instance; in promoting economic justice through the repeal of trade liberalization that has destroyed local jobs instead of creating them, the increase in minimum wage hike, and protection of labor rights and migrant rights, among others; in pursuing truth and accountability particularly in resolving the numerous cases of corruption against the incumbent government; in pursuing peace and equality through resumption of the peace process and advancing women's rights among others; and in strengthening love of country by promoting cultural pride and identity in language and education.

The next possible president cannot yet fully represent the people's interest as all of the leading candidates come from the ranks of the Philippine ruling elite and strongly influenced by anti-democratic forces that have kept the country underdeveloped. From this we can see that the upcoming elections, which remain to be elite and money-driven, reflect the wanting state of Philippine democracy.

Our nation continues to be dominated by elite governance and the challenge among educators is to look beyond the May 2010 elections and pursue people's governance as the kind of change we aspire for. As teachers, it is also our task to give greater effort in underscoring among the youth the limits of democracy yet still persevering on the people's agenda for real change. Lastly as self-serving schemes continue to threaten the upcoming elections, we educators face the challenge of guarding the democratic processes that Filipinos have collectively fought for.

We enjoin everyone in this pursuit as we participate in the May 2010 elections. As we strive to assert our rights and collectively pursue genuine social change, let us remember that the nation's hope lies not in those courting our votes but in each of us.

Participants to the 13th IPED National Educators' Conference

April 29, 2010

UCCP-CenDET

Cebu City, Philippines

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The National Educators Conference is organized by the IBON Partnership in Education for Development (IPED), IBON Foundation's program for the formal education sector. IBON Foundation is a socio-economic research, information and advocacy institution. This year's conference theme is "Promoting the People's Agenda to the New Government in 2010 and Beyond," and was participated by 45 elementary and high school teachers and administrators from 20 schools in Metro Manila, Cebu, Baguio, Quezon, and Dumaguete.