TO RUN OR NOT: Sangguniang Kabataan Election 2018

" Public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation." - Margaret Chase Smith

Seven years ago, I was asked to run as Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Chairman in our place. Unfortunately, I was not able to run because my father did not allow me for the reason that he knew that politics is a dirty game and he doesn’t want me to be involved with it. And seven years after, I am now asked and urged again to run in the elections for the same position.

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I had been very active and been very involved in all of the activities hosted by our barangay and even with the activities hosted by the Local Government of Iligan City. Our barangay keeps on making me attend the activities of the City on behalf of the barangay. And I had also featured here my experience when I was asked to attend the “Youth Barangay Assembly”. During that assembly, the Sangguniang Kabataan Election was announced and was thoroughly discussed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s Officer-In-Charge. After that assembly, I felt something within me. Something was calling inside of me. I felt the calling for Public Service.

My father was a Public Servant before he died. I grew up seeing all of his hard works and all of his sacrifices and extended works just to provide everything he could to help the people of our barangay. He had been much known for being a kind, helpful, thoughtful, generous and humble man. You can never see or hear him sound like a boss, despite having a position in our place. Instead, you will see him work along with the workers under his committees. People sometimes see him up in the post checking the wirings in our barangay and even on the water pumps fixing the tubes. That’s maybe the reason why it is innate within me to help the people in the community and it is natural for me to talk and mingle with other people easily.

Now, the million dollar question is, will I run or not? Actually, a lot of people are encouraging me to do so, including my cousin who is a City Councilor of Iligan City. She told me that she will support me and she will toss up her group to train me and my councilors and ready us for the campaign and if God’s willing, ready us as we hold on to the position. I also told her my concerns that I already have a son and it could be their weapon against me. But she told me that it was not written in the rules of the Commission on Election (COMELEC) that those who have children already cannot run on the elections. As long as you are a registered voter to that place and your age fits on the position that you are running. Most especially, you have the heart and the desire to serve and extend help to the community.

It is quite beneficial also in my position if ever I win in the elections. First, my salary is the same with the salary of the barangay councilors. It is a big help since I am a single parent now. But just like what happened to my father before when he was still in the position, there are a lot of solicitations and requests that are being sent to him. Second, if I win I could be able to avail a scholarship program of the DILG in which they would enroll me to Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), a prestigious school here at Iligan City. And last but not the least, I have all the funding and connections to do all of the plans that I have been foreseeing to impose and accomplish within my term if God’s willing.

Indeed, it is a great responsibility but at the same time, a great opportunity to continue and pursue my calling in Public Service and continue the legacy of my father. I really hope you could help me decide if I run or not. I am still in the process of weighing things out. Hopefully, you can comment your insights, I would really appreciate it. I only have until April 14, 2018, to decide since it is the first day of the filing of the candidacy. If God’s willing I know He will answer my prayers and my questions that I kept on asking myself.

Thank you and more power Steemians! Keep Steeming!

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