The road to 2028

When I joined my son to vote last May 12, I felt it was another effort to exercise my citizen duty.

- FLORANGEL ROSARIO BRAID

Especially since I had to be assisted as my legs are no longer able to allow me to move around by myself. And during the past years, we had to wait for at least a couple of hours in a crowded venue.

But this year, our polling place was moved to an airconditioned mall lobby of Robinson’s, a far cry from the elementary school on C. Benitez, where our booth was situated for the past four decades. The election staff at the new venue were quite efficient and a volunteer from the Parish for Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting assisted me. The whole exercise was over in half an hour.

When we watched TV that evening, I thought I would be watching another replay of the past. Like some, I had felt like giving up many a time and had remarked that we may be on the brink of becoming a “failed state.” The midterm election which would be a forerunner of things to come in 2028 would show what surveys had shown us — that things would continue to be the same. But lo and behold! I was not quite prepared with the outcome which was a big surprise.