Ma’am Janette Toral tagged me earlier and it prompted me to write about this topic. Truth be told, I got a lot of insights from the last iBlog Mini held at the College of Law–brief as my stay is–and it prompted me to be more aware of the potentials of blogging during Elections in the country. Personally, as a (hopefully) future media practitioner, one of the fields I want to dabble in is Election reporting. I don’t know why but I get the kicks out of the election season. Maybe because it’s a sign that somehow, even after all the totalitarian measures imposed upon us by the government, the elections still gives us hope and the voice to speak out what’s on top of our heads.

Anyway, going back to Ma’am Janette’s tag, elections are a hotbed of personalities slugging it out to be the next people’s choice. But more vital than personalities, I believe, are issues and their responses to them. One barometer for gauging the viability of a candidate for a certain post is his stance on pertinent issues that concern the nation.

If I were to interview any candidate, here are a string of issues I would want them to have an opinion on:

• Foreign Policy. It’s as important as any other issue out there. Will the next president still allow himself/herself to be controlled by foreign forces (IMF/WB) or countries (US/Europe)? I believe we’ve had enough of the influence the States has over our domestic policies. It’s time to act on our own. How about JPEPA? OFWs and the Brain Drain? Exchange Rate?
• Education. What’s his/her take on this administration’s view that we indeed have enough school classrooms and that a three-shift school day is an effective method for learning? How about the teacher’s salaries? Can’t we be more like the City of Makati that prioritizes its teachers and school buildings?
• Oil. I believe junking of the Oil Deregulation Law is the way to go. Will he/she examine alternative sources of fuel effectively? (Unlike this administration who’s bent on using Biofuel when, according to a Nobel Laureate, it’s counter-productive in the first place)
• Employment. What is his/her vision for this country? Are we a nation of laborers or are we a nation of professionals? Skills Training or College Degree? Manpower or Think-Tanks?
• Media. This administration is hell-bent on cracking down on the media. Will the next administration be the same? Will he acknowledge the importance of media as a tool for democracy?
• Political Killings. Will it ever end? How is he/she going to reform the military?

Those are all that I could think of right now. Now, I told you that I got a lot of insights from the iBlog Mini that I attended, and because of that, I’m going to attempt to come up with my clear contribution to making the next elections as democratic as possible. I’ll let you know in a few weeks. =)

*Photo from http://farm1.static.flickr.com/217/498192691_c89d7f5622.jpg