Whether or not CHA-CHA succeeds to capture Filipinos everywhere I think is irrelevant. Reading Philippine Election Journal is a breath of fresh blogging air. Why? Janette has a very interesting post on Putting Young Blood in Congress. Which is exactly what every Filipino interested in real change should strive for.

I agree that it is a romantic notion. We need smart people to solve our problems rather than pointing out what’s wrong. We need people interested in looking for creative and constructive ways to push for the future. And when we look at how government does it today— it is quite easy to be depressed at how clueless they are are and how uninterested they are beyond their own self-interest.

That shouldn’t stop people.

Minus points of the idea:

• Those who are advocating for bloggers election coverage may not be able to participate as suggestion of names maybe perceived as personal endorsement of a potential politician candidate. Although I guess if one is transparent about it, at least readers will know where the blogger is coming from.
• The identified “young blood” maybe qualified but are they politically-savvy enough? We’ve seen young blood in Congress or Senate shooting themselves at the foot for not observing proper protocol and too damn rookie to play within the process as Congress or Senate still requires a lot of inter-personal politicking to move an agenda forward.
• Will these identified young blood stand a chance if they are not part of a political party that has an established political machinery? Or are these young blood part of a political wing already?

Let me add a few more negatives against the idea. A lot of people have been arguing that they can’t run simply because, they don’t have money. That the system doesn’t permit new blood. And all these “nos” bring people down. If the system permitted the change we want, this blog and many like it wouldn’t exist. The country wouldn’t be in this predicament.

I know it sounds particularly childish and immature to point out. When the world’s problem seem to be too much for one hero alone to handle— they turn to the Justice League. A Team. That’s exactly what Filipinos need right now. No– not a justice league but a team of people interested in solving problems and opening up the future.

I think part of the answer to all those negatives cited is to build up an infrastructure. It could be a Party-List as Arbet raised a few days ago or Better Political Parties or something else. It doesn’t have to be HUGE. But just as important is the face— the candidate, I think would be the people running the show behind that person. To bring a candidate over the top, he or she needs to be part of a team. He or she needs financing, and he or she needs marketing. He or she needs organization behind the scenes. And the candidate and the people behind him or her have to be equally real and captivating.

Obama couldn’t have won alone. He had the most awesome political organization in recent American history. And he needs collaboration and organization to bring forward his campaign promises.

People have been calling for a Revolution. The political landscape is tied up to who knows who that it is hard to change this system. Ultimately it becomes a choice of whether or not people are interested in real change. This is the kind of Revolution that we need to have. It is a revolution that starts with every Filipino. It is the kind of revolution that gives people— each and every Filipino to take destiny by their own hand and steer this nation to where ever they deem fit.

It could start small, one district at a time. Because let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that change can happen over night. However it happens, the primary goal that can not be forgotten, the most sacred tenant is that our people’s faith, their loyalty, their trust in their candidate has to be rewarded. No matter how little.

We need smart people to engineer that victory. We need infrastructure and teamwork to bring forward an agenda. We need better leadership. It can start with people interested in change. Baby steps? It can start with Better Legislators on the Road to 2010.

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