In the Philippine constitution implemented through the Republic Act No. 9006 states the act to enhance the holding of free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections through fair election practices. This gives us our right as a citizen of the country to vote as a sign of our democracy. This right must be used wisely with our proper reason and intellect. Philippine citizens have been practicing voting for years, but this coming year 2025 the Philippine midterm elections be conducted. The question for us Filipino voters for this will be, who then will we vote? Those Experts or those Celebrities?

The Philippine government is not a mere thing to be taken for granted and so the election must not be done for compliance purposes only. We have to make sure to vote for the proper person to sit in the authority. For us to choose the fitting person for the position, we should know their background in leadership and their expertise in the field that they might be assigned. We should bear in mind that these leaders are the ones to make laws for our country to be organized while practicing our freedom. We have to make sure that these personnel who are going to make regulations for our country will not just sit and satisfy themselves but must create an expert and logical solution to the existing and ongoing problems in our society. This is one of the most critical responsibilities that each political leader has to do. That is why we have to make our own right decision regarding who will be the person that we will vote for during this election. We should change the mindset of each one of us, that we base our preferences on how famous the person is. Instead, when we vote, we should vote for the person who is experienced and expert in the field. They are the ones who can make a difference in our society for they have known the major problem in the field. 

In the Philippines where most of the time some citizens’ voting systems are influenced by celebrity culture, it is difficult sometimes for people to select experts and professionals rather than social media personalities, movie actors, and famous persons. This claim is even shown in the news of the 24 oras news with the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5m-YvchYmc We have to take action on this problem for a better society. We should know that it is the experts and professionals with proven records and experience in the field that can create an informed best decision for the solution to the prevailing problems in our country. Professionals are the ones who can notice the problems and so are also the ones who keep on researching to generate an idea on how to solve the problems. It is easier for them to do the task since they have background, training, and experience in the field. Experts like graduates of public administration know how to govern the people with due respect to their rights. Graduates of economics can help economic problems be solved through the implementation of proper economic action. Graduates of social welfare can help in promoting equity, inclusion, and human dignity within society. Graduates of medicine can help us identify society's problems regarding health and will be able to help us generate solutions to those problems. Lastly, graduates of law can help the community establish a logical and right regulation that applies to the life of the citizens and can make a difference to the country. There are still lots of professionals who can help us if we vote for them. 

An action to do

One of the possible actions that we can take for the coming election is to follow the phrase that goes “Check before you select”. This phrase means meticulously searching for and knowing the background of your possible candidate. If ever his experience and expertise can help you will vote for. On the other hand, if you weren't able to find any relevant background of your possible candidate for the position, then replace him with someone who is much more knowledgeable than him/her. In the case of a situation where there are a lot of candidates who are experts and professionals in the field, then you have to rank them based on the level of their expertise. You have to scrutinize them based on their acquired training, studies, and experience.

In a nutshell, the point here is that we should know that voting for the election is not just a compliance, instead our responsibility and our right. We have to remember that popularity is not even a criterion for voting for the right leader, but we must prioritize those persons who are experienced, professional, and knowledgeable about the field. They are the ones who can help us eliminate the prevailing problems in our society through their informed decision as a way to construct a better solution. Know that in voting remember to “Check before you select”.

The importance of this petition

This petition is very important for us Filipinos, especially since we will face this scenario this coming year 2025, when the Philippine midterm election will take place. The highest possible rank that the Filipinos will vote for is the senator. These persons will be the ones to represent us in the senate, they are the ones who will construct a law for us. So, the only powerful thing that would make our cries be heard in the Senate, would be to vote for the right leader. Who are they? They are the Experts and Professionals in the field. 

"CHECK BEFORE YOU SELECT"

#VOTEWISELY