Going beyond the spectacle of election campaign

As the election campaign intensifies with candidates vying for local posts now joining national bets in battling for the hearts and minds of voters, many Filipinos find themselves questioning whether the triennial elections really usher in significant progress – or merely perpetuate our country’s struggles.

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After decades of electing local and national leaders who try to impress voters with poverty-alleviation measures, millions are still grappling with economic hardships, thereby boosting pervading doubts on whether the most essential element of democracy can really deliver meaningful change.

The March 2025 SWS survey data showing that 27.2 percent of Filipino families, or 7.5 million households, faced involuntary hunger (having nothing to eat with no money to buy food), the highest recorded hunger rate since September 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, can be quite disturbing.

It attests to the apparent reality that a truly functional party system could serve as a vehicle for national progress—one where political parties analyze pressing issues, propose concrete solutions, and field competent candidates who undergo a rigorous selection process. Unfortunately, such a system remains elusive.