MY PRESIDENT

“Mama, whom will you vote soon as our president?” my daughter seriously asked me about a month ago. Not yet certain that time of whom I would really vote I just answered her, *“Candidate A”. “Why?’ she asked again. “Because I believe in his capabilities.” I replied. “How about you? Who is your bet?” I asked her back. *“Candidate C” she said. “Why?” I also asked her. “I don’t like your candidate even if he says he is the answer to all our problems. You see I memorized those songs about him but I don’t like him,” then she sang one of the popular infomercial songs to prove she really knows the song. “I would ask you rather to vote *Candidate C,” she continued to tell me. “Why he? Did someone tell you that you support *Candidate C?” I questioned her but she said she just wanted the person and no one ever had told her to like that candidate. She was not able to explain fully why she wanted *Candidate C to become the next Philippine president.

My daughter is now eight years old and just like many others of her age or even younger, who are still years behind the voting age in our country, they know how to gauge the capabilities of those popular people who are running for political seats. They have their own reasons influenced mostly outside their homes. If not for a lot of TV infomercials, they are influenced by what their schoolmates tell them, their elders in the community and some discussions that they hear around them. Children could pick up a lot of information through their own ways in what we adults consider as still their small worlds. I never told my daughter whom to vote as president neither my husband. I don’t even know whom my husband would soon vote. I was just somewhat speechless when my daughter suddenly asked me that question. She has her own very reasons why she opts for her candidate.

Yesterday, I asked again my daughter of her president. She still sticks to her *Candidate C .

*Actual names during the conversation are withheld on this site.