I got a unique Christmas gift - My first political jab.
A
local politician shouted my name in his radio program sometime ago telling the
public that I should know better since I am a law student. He also uttered
words that were designed to intimidate and discredit our efforts – a typical
logic in politics. He remembered us because we wrote a letter addressed to his
collegiate body about the farm-to-market-road issue earlier this year, which
was later resolved.
This
politician’s angry effort to educate undoubtedly stemmed from our #PAGSURE
campaign online. This was our reaction to the zero budget allocated by the City
Council to the Out of School Youth and Oro Youth programs. The total budget
asked for is just 0.2% of the total actual expenses of the city.
The
politician emphasized that since our proposals are special projects, it is
unnecessary because it is part of the office expenses of the CSWD. Hence, the
budget of the youth is already incorporated in the budget of the office itself
(Personal Services, Non-Office Social services, Special Accounts).
What
is sad about this logic is that the youth (including the out of school youth),
as well as so many other sectors such as the PWD, Senior citizens, Indigenous
People are struggling to get a slice in a meager office budget. Why do they
have to burden these basic sectors to race for a slice when the city, which has
increased its revenue to 70% in this year alone, can well in fact afford it? A
regional capital and the top 3 billionaire-city outside of Metro Manila could
surely at least allocate even a seed money to the basic sectors.
At
hindsight, the mere fact that a local politician mentioned this effort means
something. It means that they have taken notice of our frustration and disappointment.
They were provoked and they saw that we are worth responding. Do not mind the
fact that the rage was addressed to me particularly. If that is the price we
have to pay to stand for the principles we believe in, then so be it. It is
part of the civic life of a polity.
The
quality of political discourse in our city maybe at a tribal-scavenger level
but at least the politicians have taken notice of some group of young
volunteers who are speaking truth to power in social media. This social
experiment brings tremendous educational value in our part as young citizens
from all political persuasions. It tells us how social media can deliver a
point to politicians. It tells us that social media can only do so much, what
is more important is action in the ground. It tells us also that the work for
social change necessarily brings you in friction with the establishment. It
tells us that politics maybe petty and idiotic at times, but it is necessary in
our humanity.
This
unique situation in Cagayan de Oro offers an opportunity for civil society to
organize politically in order to assert their influence on the budgeting
process. The middle class and pockets of organized critical masses should at
least come together and demand that the budget process in the city be changed entirely.
It would not be enough for the people to
sit in the city council. It is imperative that they sit and join the whole
process from preparation to submission to approval to execution to evaluation. The
seeming discord in the budget is the product of this lack of pressure and
collective ownership from a third party. The dominant political parties simply
dictate the budget shutting its doors from civic participation. The coalescing People’s
Council should now look into the question of how do we creatively translate the
budget process into a simple user-friendly information material that can be disseminated
and analyzed in the barangay level. And more importantly, how to propel action
based on the analyzed information.
Politics
necessarily stirs deep passions; more so when you provoke those who cling to
power. When you make enemies, it means you are budging something, some idea,
some attitude, and some point of view. So then, judge our character by the
enemies we make.
