Loyal poll watchers but low voter turnout in PHL's biggest barangay

It was nearing high noon when Lourdes Alejandro cast her vote at the precinct in Phase 3 of Barangay Bagong Silang in Caloocan.

Alejandro didn’t wake up late for the polls. Rather, she was at home preparing her goods for the day—various bilaos of rice cakes to sell for tomorrow’s living expenses.

But instead of the long lines that she was expecting, Alejandro was met by near-empty classrooms that had more watchers than voters.

“Kanina nung bumoto ako, nasa mga alas onse na. Wala pong tao dun halos. Sabi ko nga, ‘bakit walang tao, bakit kaunti lang?’ Hindi ko nga po alam eh, kung bakit kaunti,” Alejandro said.

Bagong Silang has eight candidates vying to become the barangay chairman, while 93 were aspiring to become barangay kagawads. With over 245,000 residents, Bagong Silang is the biggest barangay in the Philippines and receives the largest Internal Revenue Allotment.

GMA News Online found Alejandro in Kalayaan Elementary School in Phase 10 towards the end of the polls. After performing her civic duty, Alejandro made the rounds of polling precincts with her aunt, Cecilia Morate, hoping to turn a profit.

“Mahirap din pumili kasi marami talagang kumandidato, medyo nahirapan pumili,” said Alejandro.

But the mother of six was proud to say she went into the polls sure of who she would vote for after studying the platforms of the candidates.

“Sigurado na ako kung sinong iboboto ko. Sigurado ako na yung ibinoto ko, mayroon siyang magagawa para sa bayan. Inaral ko, maganda naman yung political will nila, yung mga programa nila,” she said.

All Alejandro hopes for is that if her bets win, they will focus on programs that will benefit the barangay, which can be difficult for the local government to reach.

“Sana kung sino man manalo na barangay captain ng Bagong Silang, maging maayos yung barangay, umunlad. Para hindi na magulo, tapos bigyan ng kabuhayan yung kamukha naming nagtitinda,” she said.

Alejandro, who earns the paltry sum of P50 for every bilao of puto, biko or pichi pichi that she sells, asked that the barangay captain make livelihood programs in the village a priority.

“Mahirap maghanap ng trabaho dito kasi wala namang mga pabrika dito, tapos ang daming mga walang hanapbuhay. Yung karamihan, nagtitinda na lang kasi yun naman na lang yung madali,” she lamented.



— Photos by Roehl Niño Bautista, GMA News

Empty chairs, empty tables

On the other side of the school lot, at the attached Kalayaan High School, subject supervisor Jocelyn Pancito said the timing of the village polls may have affected the low voter turnout.

“Sa estimate namin, mga 50-60 percent lang 'yung bumoto. Siguro magbabakasyon, sinamantala nila. Sem break pa, or yung mga iba—di ko alam, baka tinamad ba,” she said.

While Pancito admitted low turnout makes it a tad easier for teachers who will not have to burn the midnight oil counting votes, she said the fact that few residents trooped to the polling precincts might point to a certain apathy from voters.

Pancito compared Monday’s voting with last May’s midterm polls, when tempers flared over the national elections.

“Hindi ganun ka tensyon yung mga tao sa loob ngayon. Dati, nagkakagulo talaga. Ngayon, 7 a.m., na wala pang ibang tao. Mas marami pa yung watchers sa mga boboto sa precinct,” she noted.

A majority of voters who did troop to Kalayaan HS live below the poverty line, perhaps indicating how these voters need their government the most, she said.

“Residents kasi dito mula average up to those below the poverty line. Yung mga nasa medyo upper class, wala masyadong bumoto. Mas malaki yung stake [nung mga mas mahirap] kasi sila yung mas marami talaga dito eh,” she said.

Loyal volunteers

Meanwhile, despite the relatively peaceful polls and the low voter turnout, volunteer watchers and monitors did not get complacent—with some volunteers arriving as early as 6 a.m. to help ensure safe and free elections.

One such monitor is JP Pastelero, a former scholar of a former barangay captain hoping to return to public service.

Pastelero, who says he isn’t paid a single centavo for monitoring, said he does so out of loyalty to the man who helped him finish school.

“Loyalty ko na rin yun sa taong naging parte ng buhay ko. Simula kasi nung naging monitor kami nung 2002, dun na ako nagtrabaho sa barangay. Then, habang nagta-trabaho ako, nag-aaral ako. So, parang binabalik ko lang yung utang na loob ko,” he said.

“Nagstart ako sa kaniya mag-trabaho. Naging scholar ako, na-experience ko yun. Gusto ko maranasan din yun ng ibang mga kabataan,” he added, noting that he will still be a poll watcher and monitor in coming elections to inspire younger generations to be participate in government more.

Hope for the future

Alejandro said at the end of the day she was casting her vote for the future, echoing Pastelero’s statements that the village polls remain relevant, particularly to the youth.

“Siyempre, bumoto ako para yung gusto natin, maisulong din natin, pati na yung kinabukasan ng mga bata. Dapat lalo na isulong yung may magandang ipe-perform,” she said.

Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting chairperson Alydia Orbizo said she also felt the same way, adding she tries to look at a candidate holistically to gauge whether or not to vote for him.

“Bilang mamamayan, tinitingnan ko unang-una kung ano ang kaniyang pagkatao. Kung maka-Diyos ba siya, kung makakatulong ba talaga sila sa ating sambayanan. Pangalawa, kung sa puso [niya] nakikita yung gusto talagang gawin para sa constituents,” she said. — JDS/BM, GMA News