Last year, Karl Garcia stepped up to the plate and provided in full a Conrado de Quiros article to now-Filipino Voices wordsmith DJB, where CDQ wrote a riposte against angry readers reacted violently to his columns where he apparently asked “why our national ambition had narrowed down to wanting to become the ‘toilet bowl cleaners of the world.’”
This was about the time of the Malu Fernandez brouhaha (I did have quite a few choice words even after she apparently apologized, as well as recording for posterity a roll call of those who got royally pissed at The Divalicious), but if there is anything that I think that influenced my thinking during those days, it was part of a comment from that cheeky Oxbarrio blogger The Nashman:
If people were as angry at the current government who actually does evil things than hunting a paper tiger like Malu then we’d be better off.
…
It’s Action, not words, that truly count.
With that in mind, and with thoughts about our expatriate countrymen and how they influenced the 2007 elections, and perhaps how lessons learned from those polls should effect change come 2010, now that elections are just a little bit more than a year away, I thought just maybe we should start talking about the expat Pinoy and his value as part of the electorate (assuming we’re having elections, of course). See, in 2007, I felt quite disappointed over the Overseas Absentee Voter turnout, not to mention the percentage of registered OAVs of the total number of expatriate Pinoys in 2007 (504,110 out of a million or more? Is that correct?).
Since we can’t very well change 2007, let’s think of 2010. The problem is, it’s because of the 2007 results that I’m not too optimistic.
I hope to be wrong.
The premise of this post is that there should be some form of an OFW command vote, in the same way that the Iglesia ni Kristo has a command vote, in the same manner that the Roman Catholic Church is supposed to still have one (which is probably not true anymore, what with the report that 77% of the flock don’t listen priests on condom non-usage and STDs — yup, more folks are now clear on the good that love balloons do). I used to be under the impression that there could be an OFW command vote with the same degree of consistent impact that influenced Joe de Venecia to be hopping onstage in some prayer rally or other in a bid for votes for his presidency.
I am not saying that there should be such a thing as an OFW bloc, only that it seems that the individual expat Filipino has far too many reasons to be able to influence elections among his immediate family and friends. Consider some reasons why an OFW could influence other people’s choices:
Economics: perhaps the simplest of reasons; since Dad pays the bills, his opinion holds great weight. The Damocletian sword is simply this: you don’t do as I say, I don’t send home no moolah.
(I would think that this is not exactly a common mode of persuasion used, of course.)
Filial bonds: although this is a matter of some debate, our culture puts quite a bit of emphasis on listening to our elders, especially those providing for our basic needs. Such bonds could be even more emphatical when an OFW begins a statement with something like “hindi ako naghihirap sa Saudi para sa inyo para lamang…” and so on.
(This mode of persuasion would be more common, I think.)
Deference to one’s “superiors”: I have encountered in some conversations how OFWs are viewed by their loved ones back home as cosmopolites who have a grasp on the bigger picture; as such, I’ve seen that it is fairly common for the home folks to defer to their OFW relatives and friends’ judgment… sometimes even on household matters (which is even easier to elicit now, what with the relative ease of communications current technologies provide).
Let me then theorize why these modes of influence are not really effective.
The “bad example”: In not so many words, why would an OFW’s family listen to him talk about voting if the OFW himself is not an OAV?
(Of course, I recognize that OAV registration isn’t exactly convenient — to the point that I’ve heard tell that some expats think that the process actually discourages OAV registration.)
The myth of the “disconnect”: Although this is an argument that doesn’t really hold water these days (what with communications technology being what it is today), there are some who will argue that the OAV isn’t in touch with local events, him being abroad.
(This one’s really strange to be used — this blog was founded by someone NOT in-country and is yet in touch with local happenings.)
The ineffectiveness of filial persuasion: I’m sure that the “filial bonds” and “deference to superiors” methods of persuasion no longer hold true in a society that’s slowly becoming more questioning of the old models of authority.
The relative lack of OFW association and engagement: I know of Migrante and other OFW-related advocacy groups, but it seems to me that these groups are small in relation to the total number of expatriate Filipinos. I hope that their numbers grow soon; association is one of the best ways to kindle interest and engagement.
All of the above ruminations are opinions, mind; I could very well be wrong. That said, is there a way to harness the power of the OAV vote come 2010?
Let’s talk OAV 2010.
Popularity: 1% [?]
First of all overseas voting is incovenient and costly. Philippine diplomatic missions are few. Even in the US, the missions are in the big cities of major states. There are no provisions for a postal vote. A postal vote will make it easier for workers to vote.They don’t need time off from work. (Sec 16.1and 16.2 of RA 9189 or OAV act of 2003)
I lived in outback Australia. The nearest diplomatic mission where I could cast my ballot is Canberra. I would have to spend 400 AUD to get there. Now that amount of money can pay the rent of my flat.
The failure of the OAV reflects the failure of our diplomatic missions to look after Philippine citizens overseas.
Jester
Your post should also open discussions on why Pinoys overseas as much as possible avoid like the plague, their Philippine Embassy!
re your first comment — that was the first thing i was told regarding OAV registration.
Yes, i wonder why postal voting was not implemented for all overseas voters. It’s so easy and cheap!
and probably true blackshama, one doesn’t want to vote at the embassies (where the ambassadors are political appointees with no foreign service experience)
Show of hands, how many ambassadors are fluent in the language of their host country???
Look at the waiting list : Emily Relucio for Italy…JPE’s wife for the Vatican (and how is it we can afford TWO separate ambassadors for the Vatican and Italy!!!)
I actually had a good time voting in the Singapore Embassy during the last May 2007 Senatorial Elections. At the very least, I could not find any fault with the Embassy staff.
One thing i observed when i tabulated the results of the OFW vote in Singapore is that it seems to be detached from the trend in the Philippines. It’s more like the results of the 2004 elections.
I believe that only a very small minority of our embassy people are certified a_shol_s. Many are good at their jobs. The staff in Singapore are tops. But I do have met some who are in plum postings who treat their co- Pinoy citizens shabbily.
My ex colleagues avoid them when passport renewal time comes since they trump up the BIR tax threat!
I got the same treatment and I decided to renew my passport in Manila. I wrote the DFA but as expected didn’t get a reply.
Nonetheless, as I have writted,many are doing their jobs verey well. During the pre-online news days, a Pinoy embassy staffer sent me photocopies of Pinoy news by post. It was very kind of her.
Oh, yes, the CAREER foreign service officers are good. I have no complaints.
Sadly, of these civil servants a lot will never rise up the ranks because the some of the Ambassador postings are generally reserved for politicians who lost in the last elections…
Out of curiosity, how many Middle East Ambassadors speak Arabic?
It’s not just the OFWs that don’t have a command vote — no sector seems to have a command vote in Philippine politics that references that sector’s interests. Our personality based politics is commanded by the individual politician, which probably reflects the absence of substantive issues in our elections. No politician runs on a platform of principles, issues or advocacies. It’s truly depressing.
you’re quite right, djb. the politics of destruction and personal villification are the dominant factors in philippine elections. it seems that he who can stir up a national “scandal” against a political adversary, with nothing more than gossip as basis, attract voters and could even win elections, e.g.,lacson, jamby, cayetano, escudero, trillianes. when was the last time you heard of a politician running with a definite plan of governance spelled out and articulated to the people? maybe, most of the time, people don’t care anyway and simplistic slogans like “walang kama-kamaganak” or “almusal, tanghalian, hapunan” suffice.
btw, ofw’s, in general, reflect the quality of philippine electors. working abroad hardly changes their political outlook, nor taste.
i’m loving that last line bencard…still you have the taste for GMA given the garci episode (and that’s not a scandal ha, she admitted to it..)
irony bells?
you punk, getting personal again? was i talking about me? why don’t you just get lost and stay where you belong – in your own piece of shit that you call “blog”?
you said “working abroad hardly changes their political outlook, nor taste.”
so it applies to you too as it applies to all of us.
I agree with DJB, I really do not think that is such a thing as a command vote nowadays. Nobody can give a specific tally of the votes that certain “sectors” voted. And yes, very seldom to no one runs on a platform of priciples, issues, and advocacies. Worse, a good number of voters cast their votes based on personalities. We need principled votes. Also, if we can scrap the multi – party system that we have, junk the party list system, we have a better chance of reforming the political geography. Let’s return to a 2 party system of government wherein a there will be at least a check and balance on priciples, political butterflies will also be lessened.
It’s not the party “system” per se but the substance behind Pinoy political parties that seems to be the more pressing concern.
If you look up the various Philippine political parties in Wikipedia, you’ll find that virtually all of the articles about these parties are around people and events.
It is personalities and their comings, goings, and posturings that define Pinoy political parties. There is no real ideology (not that that is such a good thing either) nor advocacy that underpins them.
True indeed that our political parties reflect the character of our society — utterly vacuous, superficial, and un-original.
Small minds discuss people
Mediocre minds discuss events
Brilliant minds discuss ideas ;)
Kasali pala ako sa post na ito, ngayon ko lang nabasa post, derecho comments kasi ako agad eh.
Thanks for the mention.
There is nothing much I can contribute, so I will just say…..
The bottom line is to make it easier for the OFWs to vote after giving them a reason to give a shit about voting.
“True indeed that our political parties reflect the character of our society — utterly vacuous, superficial, and un-original.”
Pray, do tell, where is a country/state/nation with political parties that are Not superficial and un-original? For our sakes we should go visit and learn from them….
cheers
djb said,
i tend to agree, but i’m looking at the possibility of the individual OFW being able to strongly influence his immediate circle of family and friends, and thereby influence the vote in his community, and then on macro to the nationals.
possible? not possible?
hi all OFW’s
.
day-by-day, Phils election 2010 is becoming an hot stuff issue esp. among OFW. One big consideration is the security and privacy issues when it comes to electronic voting. Why not implement a on-line database for all voters abroad hook-up to main database in the Philipines- just as simple as that(OLTP) on-line-process-transactions.