Youth Agenda 2010: A critique to the so-called Youth Vote

The youth age transcends from 13 years old until he/she reaches 35. According to National Statistics about 40% of the population is comprised by the youth. Furthermore, even in the labor force and production of economy, the youth has the biggest share of suppliers and those who comprise the demand. In politics, the youth serves as opinion-maker, making public opinion equal to whatever position the youth would take. Now that election 2010 is fast approaching, it is undeniable that politicians, traditional politicians that is, are taking more steps in making agenda for the youth as their banner platform. But have you ever asked what the “real” youth agenda is?

Historical Role of the Youth

For centuries, tracing back since the Philippines colonial and Martial Law era, the youth played an important role in shaping the course of history. Even the heroes of the past, Andres Bonifacio, JP Rizal, and Gen. E. Jacinto took nationalism into their own hands and offered themselves in the name of freedom. Even the famed Prof. Jose Ma. Sison, founder of the new Communist Party of the Philippines, was still in his youth when he dreamed of a socialist Philippine society. Martyrs like Lean Alejandro, Lorena Barros, Edgar Jopson and Emmanuel Lacaba, all victims of state fascism and dictatorship under the Martial rule of Ferdinand Marcos, were in their youth when they faced torture, abduction and death for the sake of national democracy. All of these names remained uncertain to the present generation as to whether what kind of agenda they would like to bring. If so, have we carried on their agenda for nationalism and democracy? So to say, the historical role of the youth is put into question when we give a distorted orientation of being “youthful”.

Promise of a better tomorrow?

I made some observations in the present trend of politics and how politicians took advantage of the youth’s vulnerability for change. Is this their (politician) way of promising for a better tomorrow? Or just some colloquial methods of publicity? It is quite sad to see, however, the youth’s participation and idealism that most politicians’ method of change is pragmatic and practical in essence, disregarding the genuine struggle for nationalism and democracy.

There are those who claim for individual change and let the vote of the youth actually possess change. Such pronouncements of “youth vote” undermine the real essence of change by giving a promise of transformation once elections will push through. Hence, will it no longer capture traditional politics and the culture of bossism if that happens? Others claim a fashionable youth genre of electioneering, aggrandizing the youth with popular methods such as (sic) “rock the vote”, a schematic method of youthful campaign to attract massive young voters. But the most proliferated promise for change is “Ako Mismo”, a clever way to project their intentions of capturing the youth vote in 2010. Now, before making a comment whether my claims are of factual basis, have you ever asked who the people behind these campaign propaganda are?

Sometimes, I find it more understanding to see politicians’ campaign ad for their own benefit, such as the “padyak” of Mar Roxas, “sipag at tiyaga” of Manny Villar and “ganito kami sa Makati” of Jojo Binay. In one perspective they directly enjoin people to know their real intentions rather than giving false attractions. But I’m not saying their methods are qualified for righteousness and genuine change. All I’m saying we see a clear difference of their intentions from the campaigns we see about them. Let’s ask then, where will all these youth-smearing campaigns end up? Yes, very promising but subsequently, a selfish and blatant way of blinding young voters with the promise of change.

If we follow through on the youthful campaigns, will there be genuine change or still rhetorical old-school propaganda? Think about this, in order to achieve change, according to these campaign ads, you ought to buy and wear a dog-tag with a very fashionable design and proclaim to the world you are part of the process of change. Or, signify your intention for change by signing up to a company-owned advocacy and carry their name for public sympathy. Such a shame that out of the desperate desire for change, we cling to at least any possible means available, even at the most despicable sense.

The real Youth Agenda

The real Youth Agenda should contain some simple truths and a bit of idealism. It should be supportive to the real definition of what is youth. Simple truths like, corruption will not end unless you change people in the system, genuine change will not happen without the essential ingredient of a revolution, and History will keep on repeating itself if we continue to believe that politicians will change our future. Take a break and reflect on the real situation of politics in the country. A third generation of an old political clan will run for president, a politician who clings to power and to the present administration just to maintain political supremacy, a business minded magnate with issues of corruption is topping the presidential surveys, a landlord is making himself popular among the youth by claiming he is part of the young generation, and what’s worst of all, a deposed president will try to run for re-election! Now, if you say then, who will best be our president? My only answer is none of them. Unless there’s a candidate who can resist tuition fee increases, stop commercialization of education and invest more on state-run academic institutions, remove excessive taxes to allow more investments in the country and target all billion-earning corporations to pay their taxes without exemptions, I will be all-out support to that candidate. Sad to say, none of them exists.

That is why the question of the real youth agenda still remains unanswered. Going back to my critique on these “youthful campaigns”, do any of them made mention of simple realities in life? Or are they suspending reality and provide a mockery of the youth’s idealism? My point here is, stop making us, the youth, feel that we are mediocre with all your promising youth agenda! Yes, I do believe that the youth will change greatly the results of the election, and yes I concede that probably the vote of the youth will give a significant change. But don’t mislead us by giving false impressions of change if only the youth will cast its’ vote. Our vote is important that we don’t want to waste it to some selfish interest. Our vote should signify our intention for change, change that is rooted on the principle of nationalism and democracy. But voting is not simply the answer; I believe that in order for genuine change to happen we should accept that an imminent revolution should take place. I’m not advocating for violence, but we have been faced with so many violent offensives from the present regime that the only way to defend ourselves is taking violence as an alternative resort.

Our Challenge

And so, let us take this bit-by-bit. We want change and the youth will forever be resilient with this. Our methods for change, you might say too radical, but will result to a progressive rather than regressive change. As the lyrics in the song “Next in Line: So I sing this song to all of my age, for these are the questions we’ve got to face, for in this cycle that we called life, we are the ones who are next in line”. Don’t tell us that the only thing we could do is go out and vote, we could do more than just voting! I am not pretending to know everything, but a simple truth that the youth aspires for change is enough already to spark a revolutionary spirit for national democracy. So the question I raise to all politicians and those so-called youth campaigns, what have you really done to cater the desire for national democracy? I do believe there are genuine youth movements, but remains isolated because of black propaganda and character assassinations.

Now that 2010 election is just less than a year, whose agenda will you bring?