Two hundred fifty days 'til the May 2010 Philippine elections

Gray skies loom overhead but a swathe of hopeful sunny clarity is not too distant.

While I believe that each time to vote is an important civic duty, I really feel that the upcoming 2010 polls is make or break for the Philippines. This crossroads we are treading towards could be the spark we all need in order to make the country teeter in favor of development or the slope unto which we continue to be mired in the muck of stagnation, if not worse.

Recent not-so-mini upheavals the Philippine political landscape have left many wary and worried about the 2010 elections in particular and the country's future in general. Inasmuch as it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth when the political leaders we look to for direction and guidance seem to be lost themselves, we must be firm in the resolve that those leaders DO NOT solely have the responsibility in mapping our collective future. For the most part, it is still up to the voting public who will get to sit and govern our 90-odd million population. Definitely, the 1-million-strong civil service system pales in comparison to the power wielded by the entire nation.

I hear from many people that they are beginning to feel that they might as well not participate in the polls since the choices are the proverbial devil and the deep blue sea. Sure, for now, the options seem to be not... optimal... for the needs of the country. But I am certain further scrutiny will yield a candidate who is better than most, a lesser evil, so to speak. The candidates will run, whether we like it or not. But the equation for their election will remain incomplete until we permit them to govern. We just have to do our part in making the country better. We must not remain limited to the sidelines, merely booing, cheering, or lambasting leaders alternately; rather, we must be partners in building the nation, brick by brick, in whatever sphere of influence we belong to.

If we all give up on our country, we become instruments facilitating our own demise, unwittingly fulfilling what the naysayers among us have been predicting. There is a lot that needs to be done, there is still time.

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We still have until October 31st to register for the 2010 elections. The procedures on how to register, mechanism to check your name if it's still in the voters' list, and the laws governing campaigning, among other information, can be found here in the official website of the Commission on Elections.