First things first

The merry celebrations are over. Life is getting back to normal after the Christmas and New Year revelries. And as we return to our usual grinds, we look forward to the next big event. The feeling of anticipation helps make us endure the dreariness of day-to-day life.

The country is already beginning to bubble up with activities related to the coming May elections. The noise has actually been slowly building up since several months ago yet. Even the recently ended yuletide season was noticeably streaked with political innuendos.

Elections are really a big thing in this country. Well, elections are really big matter, all right. It is a time when the people become what they really should be in a democracy like ours — the ultimate authority of the land!

Sadly, people no longer see elections that way. Okay, not all people, but so many. To the average Juan the elections are just a game, a gamble where the only winners are the ones that get placed in government positions afterwards. So Juan does not take it seriously; he feels that whatever the outcome will not make a difference in his life anyway.

I personally don’t agree with such mindset. Although I agree that the conduct of our elections is far from being commendable. The picture is bad as it is; our indifference will only make matters worse.

We’re still a few months away from the May elections. Before the election frenzy comes to full blast, there is yet another big event coming. This one is much awaited by Cebuanos in particular, although people from other parts of the country – or even the world – also turn up to participate in the festivities. It is touted as “the biggest fiesta of the Philippines” — Sinulog!

For sure there’s going to be some hint of electioneering here and there during the Sinulog. I expect that. But I don’t think that it will so much muddle the integrity of this annual cultural event.

There will be this or that candidate showing up wherever there’s a crowd to see him, whether at the Basilica, along the parade route or at the Sinulog Grandstand. It’s also highly possible to see one or another at any of the various public events during the weeklong celebrations. The effort, however, can either make or break the political aspirant.

Early politicking can be construed as being ill-mannered and symbolic of the candidate’s rogue character. Especially so when it’s done without due deference to the nature of the occasion being exploited. The exposure such candidate hopes to get may only reveal the side of himself he wants to hide.

Ecclesiastes of the Bible says, “To everything there’s a season.” Which I take to mean that there is a proper time for our every endeavor. We take breakfast in the morning, lunch at midday, supper in the evening. Anyone who takes all his day’s meals in one sitting risks getting an upset stomach.

And so we celebrate Sinulog first. The elections are still a far next. We have a few other events happening in between. Let’s take them all one at a time, first things first. (E-MAIL: [email protected])