As the years go by, we’re counting more and more on the youth and the internet to step up. For the latter, it can help us get intel on our presidential hopefuls and exchange ideas. So, voters can make better, more informed decisions. As for the former, the youth are the new hands that can help the country choose an exemplary leader. 

The presidential filing for candidacy ended on Friday, October 8, 2021. More than 30 people have made their intentions for their bid clear. However, while we saw some familiar faces, we saw more than a few newbies for the presidential post. One particular candidate stirred controversy over qualifications for higher government posts.

Thus, during election season, one should be prepared to make the best choice for the country, whether you’re a newly-minted voter or an old hat at the election process. After all, our President will stay with us for six years! And six years is a lot of time to make (or break) a country. 

Criteria for the 2022 Philippine Presidential Elections 

Currently, the Official Gazette says that the President should be a “natural-born Filipino” as well as “a registered voter.” The President should also “be able to read and write.” However, the said criterion doesn’t say much about educational attainment, which is somewhat concerning. Also, the President should be “40 years of age at the day of the election.” So the President should be at least 40 years old. Finally, to be fair to Filipinos who have gone abroad, they “must have resided in the Philippines ten years before the election is held.”

When you’re handling the lives of 110.8 million, give or take, you need to be prepared. So, in preparation for the upcoming elections, here are the criteria for picking the foremost leader of the Philippines!

The President should have a strong will.

Leaders lead because they’ll do what it takes to get the job done. So, the President should be strong enough to do right by the country. A President should have a strong stomach to wake up every day for six years and still have the will to make it to the end of the day. Regardless of what each day brings, a President should be willing to throw themselves into the fray and bring order to chaos. Additionally, they should stimulate change and growth where there is stagnancy. Although a President should be a person of action, they should take care not to be reckless. They also shouldn’t get carried away by their emotions.

Your next President is the boss of the country.

The President should remain independent.

A leader leads. Naturally, they should not be the followers. Nor should the leader allow other people to override their decisions. Likewise, a President shouldn’t let others do the leading or the decision-making for them. One should choose a president with a strong will who will not allow themselves to become a puppet. Independence ties with the will of a leader: If your President can’t make their own decisions, it doesn’t give them a favorable image in the eyes of the country and even other countries.

Your next President should know how to stand on their own.

The President should inspire you.

Just as a leader should make the (tough) decisions and make the first step, a leader should also become an outstanding example to their subordinates. Your President is a figurehead; they must strive to embody the values they want their countrymen to have. So, if a beloved President exhibits traits like generosity, fairness, and compassion, the people will do many things aligned with those traits. Thus, more people will volunteer for charities. They can condemn corruption on all levels. Also, the citizens can help the unfortunate.

Your next President should be the battery that keeps you going.

The President should be emotionally mature.

Leadership doesn’t occur in a vacuum. Not only that, a President should be well-versed in international relations. As the highest official of the country, a President will inevitably rub elbows with people of high office. Also, at times, they will even have to meet with other countries. They may even have to meet with disagreeable officials or even officials from countries they are at odds with. No matter where the President is, the wrong move or phrase could spell disaster. If a person has poor phrasing yet positive intentions, then people will misunderstand them.

Your next President should be skilled at pairing their positive intentions with diplomatic speech. 

The President should hold themselves accountable.

The President is the country’s head and thus is primarily responsible for what their subordinates and citizens do. When they realize a failure on their part, the President must admit their mistakes. When it comes to the failings of their associates, the President should treat them with fairness and discipline. Likewise, a President should treat their citizens with discipline but also know when to accept their failings.

Your next President should be like a strict yet loving parent, taking responsibility and disciplining their citizens when they make mistakes.

The President should be honest and follow through on transparency.

A leader should always be a proponent of the truth. Likewise, a President should reveal the truth no matter how ugly it is. In terms of transparency, the President was elected by the people. So, transparency is the key to making sure the President doesn’t undermine the people’s trust. Not only that, embezzling government funds is bad for faith in the President. So, a President should make sure that the funds improve the lives of the citizens, not their leaders.

Your next President shouldn’t be afraid to speak the truth to the citizens.

The President should have the foresight to make the right decisions.

Leaders shouldn’t just act, act, but they need to think, think, think too! Before they make a decision, they need to have already considered several courses of action. Like a chess game, the leader has to know all the factors in a given situation. Then they simulate the consequences of the choices they can make. From there, the President should make the choice that benefits the country the most. A President can’t be a leader if they’re short-sighted. When anything happens in the country, the President’s mind should consider what it means for the people and how to help them.

Your next President should be several steps ahead of current events.

The President should be committed and consistent.

A house divided against itself shall not stand, and that’s true for the entire country! A country should be united against the problems it’s facing. In addition, the President should hold to their promises, even the ones they made before they became President. The people can’t respect or have faith in a leader that forgot everything they said they’d do. It’s especially true if their promises got them the presidential seat in the first place!

Your next President should be a leader with the conviction to see things through.

The President should always be open to criticism.

Sometimes people don’t want to hear their faults spoken to them. Sometimes people know they messed up and tell themselves it won’t happen again. And sometimes, it works, other times not. But a leader has more at stake than an individual. The President may not realize that what they’ve done was wrong, or too much, or doesn’t solve the right problem at all. If a leader is unwilling to hear that they did wrong or learn what they could improve, the country will stagnate. The President should also avoid doubling down on wrong choices or lines of thought.

Your next President should be willing to hear feedback from their citizens.

The President should have a great love for their people.

With great love comes great respect. The President can show love through respect. The President shouldn’t just respect the people but also the laws that govern the country and their fellow government officials. With compassion on their side, the President will act in the interests of the people. A President shouldn’t just continue to operate with strictness; people need assurances. Citizens should know that their leader cares for them just as much as the citizens need their President.

Your next President should always take action with love in their heart.

A tall order, to be sure

Reading through this article, you may think, ‘Aw, but we can’t possibly have someone cover all these at all times!’ Well, you’re right. There’s no getting around it. Nobody’s perfect. However, as voters, we need to pick the best person to handle the colossal job of leading the Philippines.

We probably won’t be able to find someone that fits all these criteria 100%. But, we can find a worthy candidate. That’s why, before you cast your votes during that season, you have to find the person you believe to be the best person to become President. Hopefully, when you see the names of the top presidential hopefuls, you can read through this list and make a choice. For your sake, for your country’s sake. And also, for the sake of our future. – Alex/WhatALife.ph

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