A CANDIDATE’S DIARY, DAY 13: THE BIG LOAD THAT I CARRY

I grow goosebumps all over my body whenever I stand in front of a huge group of people who train their eyes on me, who listen to every word I say and hope that in one of the lines that I will utter they will find the answer to their woes in life.

I felt the same way last night in Barangay Arizona, a mountain village in Midsayap town, where at least 600 people on a night when darkness enveloped the whole area because of the brownout, walked down from their homes on the hills to attend my political rally.

A huge crowd is always a source of joy for politicians like me because you get the opportunity of sharing your vision and your dreams with a greater number of people.

But a big group of poor people pinning their hopes on you also means a big burden that you have to carry.

Beyond the big talk and promises that a politician delivers during the campaign sorties is the huge task of making sure that these promises are fulfilled.

The failure to deliver on promises made has doomed many political careers in the past.

Last night, I felt a heavy load on my shoulders seeing the huge number of people, some of them already old and using canes, in front of me laughing at every joke I crack and listening to the programs of governance that I laid down before them.

Listening to their reactions, I realized that the biggest problems confronting the people in Arizona, Midsayap are the very low price of their farm products like copra, the bad roads, the failure of the current administration to deliver on its commitment to provide livelihood projects to them, the inability of their children to go to college and the very bad state of the Dr. Amado Diaz Hospital in Midsayap.

Last night, I promised that when I am back as their Governor, every child of a poor family should be given an opportunity to go to college.

It was met with a roar of approval.

When I said I will work on their bad roads right after my inauguration, there was a loud applause.

When I announced that an Iranian businessman is in the country to look for a source of coconut oil which could mean a better price for their copra, there was a sigh of relief followed by a thunderous applause.

Livelihood projects and the repair and rehabilitation of the Dr. Amado Diaz Hospital were also met with great enthusiasm by the people.

All along, I was giving instructions to my staff to record every commitment that I made so that I will have a listing of what I will do in a specific area which I visited during the campaign.

This is not an easy task but it is a load that I must carry.

I do not want to fail my people. Doing so would be a betrayal of their trust.

(Photo caption: Even in darkness, people of Arizona came to attend my rally last night.)