[THREAD] When I was working in the House of Representatives, I made it a point to browse through the directory of House Members para makibasado ko ang names and faces. Maliban sa contact info, nakalagay rin 'yung professions nila. Karamihan ng nakita ko ay dalawang "trabaho":

Businessman at former local government official (i.e. Mayor), meaning kinarir na nila ang pagiging pulitiko. Karamihan sa kanila, galing din sa dynasties. Some of those who worked as "businessmen," upon further research were engaged in *drum roll* construction.

May iba, engineer kuno, pero contractor din naman pala. May educator daw, pero may-ari ng private school. At siyempre, mayroon ding artista. Going through each page bothered me. It didn't feel like I was going through a list of "representatives" of citizens.

It felt like looking at a list of successful capitalists. They had dynasties inside government. Outside, they had family corporations. Lakas maka-Ardiente dynasty na kalaban ni Ivy Aguas a.k.a. Lily Cruz [Sorry, rerun kasi ng Wildflower sa ABS-CBN (Renew their franchise!!!)].

Our country would be a better place if those who comprised the majority of Congress are genuine representatives of the people. As in 'yung katulad din nating lahat; kapareho natin ng kwento—nakaranas ng totoong buhay bilang mamamayan.

Sabi nga parati nina VP Leni Robredo at Gov. Kaka Bag-ao, mga community organizer at abugado ng mga nasa laylayan, the best people to solve problems are those who experience them firsthand. People's participation in government sa mismong driver's seat, hindi bilang pasahero.

I hope one day, pag buklat ko ng directory ng Kamara, ang makikita kong mga trabaho ng mga mambabatas bago mahalal ay teacher (hindi may-ari ng school ha), doctor, farmer, scientist, engineer (hindi contractor), community organizer, social worker...

...artist (hindi lang sana sikat na artista please), fisherfolk, organisador ng kababaihan sa komunidad, civil society worker, LGBTQ+ activist, nurse, entrepreneur na nanggaling sa maliit na negosyo, abugado na tumutulong sa marginalized sectors, labor leader, at iba pa.

Aliw na aliw tayo kay AOC sa US House, pero sa true lang ano, napakaraming kagaya niya na Pilipino. Mahirap gawin, pero hindi imposible. Kung 'yung kagaya ni Kaka Bag-ao na lumaki sa isang isla sa Mindanao tapos naging abugado ng mga magsasaka ay kinayang...

...maging 3-term Congresswoman at Gobernador, baka kaya rin nating makapagpadagdag pa ng totoong kakatawan sa atin sa gobyerno. Sana sa 2022, masimulan na natin.

Hindi man tayo magtagumpay agad-agad, at least pinakaba muna natin 'yung mga trapo sa pagpapakita nating sawa na tayo sa sistema nilang sila lang ang nakikinabang habang lahat tayo ay nadedehado. Tapos ituloy-tuloy na natin. Bago naman. Game?