A youth’s letter to the elders

By Divina Gracia Vidal
Colegio de Dagupan

It’s still a long wait before the next elections, and yet people already have their bets and are talking about the 2010 plebiscite.

But what do we really wait for? Is it to know who would be worthy to be our new public servants or the person who will buy our votes? Ooops, that is not what I intended to write.

We youngsters are not blind to what is happening to our economy today, we are not clueless as to what these people are rallying about in front of embassies, gasoline companies, and even in Malacañang.

In two months, we’re about to graduate from college, and of course our parents are expecting much from us. But what can they expect from us at this time of economic crisis, when we are struggling with limited less job opportunities and low wage rats. Youth is the hope of this nation as has been often said, but you, Ma’am, Sir, is our hope for our future.

Let us recall what had happened the previous year, after the baranggay election in October 2007, super Typhoon Cosme struck our place and destroyed our homes. The calamity left us with loud sounds of cries, but fortunately there still had been good-hearted people who helped us, especially the poor Dagupeños, giving relief goods and ‘yeros’ to those families whose houses were destroyed. But let me tell you, Ma’am, Sir, there are poor people still waiting for those ‘yeros’ until today.

Barangay is the smallest unit of the city, and the problems that the city administrators are now facing from health, sanitation to education, employment and poverty are the same problems reflected in the barangays. There had been issues about our barangay chairmen that have become frequent news in print and radio. And oftentimes I also hear negative things about our captain. People in our place feel they are discriminated because of the unfair administering of the baranggay council, on whom they’d already lost their respect. These frustrations should teach us to vote more wisely next time. We need better leaders.

We, youth of today are crying out for you, Ma’am, Sir, to hear us, secure the future that awaits us. And we will secure the future of the next generation.

Back to Homepage

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments