FINALLY, the campaigning of political aspirants has become “legal”. Of course, our country’s election laws does not prohibit campaigning for those who aspire for elected positions. It does however set periods when and when not to campaign. I said campaigning is now made legal due to the kick-off of the official 45-day campaign period beginning Friday.
It is really hard to put a demarcation line between campaigning and not. A simple caucus outside the official campaign period may be treated as campaigning since a candidate discusses his platforms and aspirations for the people he is wooing. An election candidate on the other hand may dispel that he is campaigning as the said activity may be treated as a simple consultation or a dialogue with some people.
The start of the campaign period is usually filled with “opening salvos” of candidates. It’s the “show of force” of candidates to the public in terms of the number of their supporters. It has usually a motorcade wherein candidates show themselves waving a hand or two in public while their jolly jingles are played aloud.
The greater number of vehicles in a motorcade, the better. It creates however, a monstrous traffic jams in road intersections and some motorists are helpless except to wait for the last vehicle included in the motorcade to pass through.
In some motorcades, candidates throw out to people on streets some candies, flyers, caps, t-shirts and other campaign materials, to the delight of those who gets to chance to be on the road while the lengthy line of vehicles pass by.
Official campaign periods are fun. It creates a lot of noise, both literal and figurative at that. It is expensive too as candidates would have to pay for people, vehicles, campaign materials and other contingent expenses for the campaign.
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I have visited a couple of weeks ago the Diosdado P. Macapagal Regional Government Center in Maimpis, City of San Fernando. The government center as popularly called, houses regional offices of national government agencies in the region.
While various offices seem to have organized office buildings based on their facade, evident is the lack of parking spaces for these offices. Vehicles of either employees or visitors are in disarray wiht some line-up on streets thus clogging the center’s traffic flow.
Almost all buildings have fences and even road set-backs. However, the set-backs, which can be used as parking spaces, are “fenced” with concrete pavers or plant pots, thus depriving motorists with additional parking spaces.
While the government offices perhaps intend to beautify further their building frontages, the said space for such should have been intended instead for vehicles’ parking. Visitors of the center deserve parking spaces just like what malls and other commercial establishments are required by local government units.
My visit to the center was an ordinary work day ans without any special governmental activities of the said offices. It’s hard to imagine the congestion if a government agency would be having an activity in its compound which definitely make a shortage for parking spaces.
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