Great Expectations

Now that the election fever has practically cooled down, more and more non-political news are surfacing. And that’s a good sign. It means we’re getting back into the business of our daily lives – the nitty-gritty of everyday realities.

The nation has given its verdict midway into President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration. The judgment is that we are not happy with her governance despite her repeated declarations of a rosy economy based on positive statistical figures.

Ten of the 12 winners have been officially declared. The defeat of majority of Team Unity’s candidates signifies discontent towards their Malacañang patron. As for the local election, winners by-and-large were adjudged not so much on their affiliation with the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party nor the other parties allied with the present administration, but more on performance on the part of re-electionists, and potential, promises, and platform for the fresh political faces.

The way the population voted last May 14 indicates a people who are awakening from complacency and indifference. We are a people who have learned important lessons. We want more from  our  leaders. Expectations are great and high.

Our returning and new public servants have an enormous job cut out for them.

The task could prove to be easier for the re-electionists. The vote of confidence from the people means they have not bungled in their last stint, at least not bad enough, and so they should carry on with their unfinished development work and think up new and creative ways to make things better. It’s, therefore, refreshing to find re-elected Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza immediately back on track with the continuation of his local government’s Computer Assistance Literacy Program (CALP), a crucial education-related project given that we are in the thick of the information age. All of the city’s elementary and se-condary schools will soon have access to wireless internet connection. Now Braganza just has to make sure that there will actually be computers where students can make the link.

The newbies, on the other hand, have a lot of proving to do. Pangasinense eyes will be particularly focused on Governor-elect Amado Espino Jr. whose victory is momentous in the province’s history as it marks the beginning of a new command after close to three decades of the Agbayani kind of leadership.

Espino said he thought winning would be an “impossible mission”. It proved to be possible, and credit is due for the most part to a thinking electorate. Now he has to return the favor. The bigger and more important mission of propelling Pangasinan towards real development is ahead of him. The people don’t expect that to be impossible.

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments