The People Have Spoken

Yesterday, despite the sweltering El Nino heat and long queues that tested patience and resolve, Pinoys headed off to polling precincts to participate in the National Elections. Me? I waited two hours before I was able to cast my vote- once I was there it took several minutes for me to finish as I painstakingly tried to keep my markings within the egg-shaped selections. Not easy, considering that the spaces for your selections are tiny, and you're provided with a felt-tip marker that can easily blot out and potentially invalidate your vote. Thankfully though my ballot was accepted no problem, so I headed home with satisfaction.

Today it seems that Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III has won by a large margin, with him being the only one in the way of 'Erap' Estrada from reclaiming the presidency. Yes, I voted for Senator (and soon President) Aquino, in the same hope that everyone else who voted for him- the hope for change, the hope for a new government that should combat corruption and graft, what many of us feel are the main shackles keeping our country the poor, sick man of Asia. So far, so good. But even when the proclamation is done and the new regime takes over, it's still not over. We've got a long way to go before the taint that the current government has left on our society can be erased, if ever.

But at least we've taken the first step.