Tell it to SunStar: Our Toxic Political Culture

I COULD not help but compare the differences between our country’s political culture and that of the developed countries like in the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), and Germany. The toxic things that I have observed in our political culture are the following:

1. Stronger emphasis on political dynasties rather than political parties.

2. Padrino system and Nepotism over Meritocracy and professionalism.

One aspect of the political culture that I would like to talk about is the differences of how the respective party systems, between the countries that I would like to compare, are practiced. In the US, UK, the bi/multi-party system has been strongly practiced as compared to ours. Their political parties are strong that even though political families like Bush, Clinton exist, no single political family have had a long-lasting grip on a certain place or positions be it federal, national, and local. They do not have something like Aquino, Marcos, Duterte political brands but Republicans, Democrats (in the US), Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats (in the UK). They do not have something like Nacionalista Party which is quitely in the hands of the powerful Villar family right now. They have less to no balimbing politicians at all who jumps from their own parties to the new dominant party after an election. We should have stronger political parties rather than political dynasties because it is better to see a country where elected politicians decide and act on principles for the collective interests and common good of the people rather than the will of the President or of political dynasties alone.

We live in a country where Meritocracy is just an exception while the Padrino system is still very much the rule. Why? Because it is still hard to enter the Government when you do not have connections. Because it is still hard to get budget or financial assistance from a Mayor or Governor when you are a Mayor or a Barangay Captain who is not their ally. Because it is still observable that you cannot be promoted or will have less chance of promotion as a teacher or staff if you are not sipsip enough to your respective department head or principal. The list of the reasons why is actually long. This toxic system must be stopped. The constituents deserve better - better quality of governance and service where public employees are hired and promoted not because of connections and pa-sipsip but because of exemplary character traits and valuable prior working experiences.

In our generation, we should aim to replace these toxic traditional political practices and envision to have a government where politicians have integrity, practical idealism - loyal not to the party but to the principles which that party stands, and are practicing Meritocracy. Because of too much Realism, I believe that these changes that I envision can only be achieved through a revolution where there is a struggle between the class of toxic traditional politicians - which are obviously backed and influenced by oligarchs - and the class of the new, enlightened, and “woke” politicians. by Raphael Erick C. Marcial, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science graduate from Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan Class of 2018.

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