I don’t care what the exact numbers are, but I sure am one of them.
The feeling lingers. It’s already been a week since the Araw Na10 ‘To Rally in Pasay, and I can still feel the euphoria that I experienced while I was there.
I was hesitant at first. Using the words my best friend said, I was already fulfilled since I’ve already been to a Leni-Kiko rally before. My best friend wasn’t, so she made sure to attend the rally after her duty at the hospital. She was sleepless and tired, but she was still there with her husband and some other friends.
Why didn’t I want to go? I’m very familiar with the venue—there wouldn’t be any shade there. I knew it’s gonna be hot—it’s the middle of summer. There’s still COVID-19, I had to work at our office the following week and we had to undergo antigen testing before we’re allowed to get into our office building. I haven’t been sleeping well the week before. And my sister said we’ll be sharing an Airbnb unit between up to six people if everyone pushes through. You can only imagine the amount of discomfort these things could bring.
But my friends were very encouraging. And one of my closest friends at work was envious that I could attend the rally, and she just kept on pushing me—she was unavailable that time, but both of us were able to attend the Pasiglaban rally. We didn’t get to meet there even though we planned to. There were just too many people and the network signals were so weak, you could hardly send any message.
My best friend and I also planned on meeting at the rally this time around, but we had the same problem and she and her husband opted on staying on a different stage.
I braved the heat. I stood for about twelve hours from noon until almost midnight. And it wasn’t just me. We were hundreds of thousands. I sang with them, cheered with them, jumped with them... we were tired, and we were happy.
And we’re all fighting for the same cause. For the truth. For the good governance our nation deserves.
One of the many reasons why I’m voting for Leni is because she brings out the best of the Filipinos. People write songs, make art, cook food and share it. There are volunteers in all aspects that you can think of that would help with her campaign. In here, you’ll witness the spirit of bayanihan that’s innate with us Filipinos.
I’m proud of what I’m fighting for. Even when surveys say that we still have a long way to go or that we may end up not winning at all, I’d still be proud.
