“Educational attainment should be a qualification for a Filipino citizen to become a

qualified voter or public official.”

“Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their

back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”-

Abraham Lincoln. An election is one of the manifestations of a democratic society.

According to Article 2 section 1 of the 1987 constitution that the Philippines is a

democratic and republican State. Sovereignty resides in the people and all government

authority emanates from them. The power to vote and choose leaders who will run the

country resides in the Filipinos. However, are Filipinos educated enough to vote for the

right ones? Are the officials qualified enough to be given a position in the government

and competent to do decisions for the benefit of everyone? These are just some of the

questions that I always ask myself about the selection of competent leaders. Nothing is

making sense of the government that we have right now. I see no changes or

improvements with regard to the present administration. These are just some of my

observations as a student and as a future social studies teacher. I think it is now the time

that Educational attainment should be a qualification for a Filipino citizen to become a

qualified voter or public official.

Although it was mentioned in Article 5 Section 1 in the 1987 Constitution that

suffrage may be exercised by all citizens of the Philippines not otherwise disqualified by

law, who are at least eighteen years of age, and who shall have resided in the Philippines

for at least one year and in the place wherein they propose to vote for at least six months

immediately preceding the election. No literacy, property, or other substantive

blinded by the actual scenarios happening in the government, even if it is really obvious

that a lot of government officials are into graft and corruption and gets money from the

“kaban ng bayan”.

It is now time for Filipinos to wake up and stop daydreaming about the false

promises and fake treatments of the people sitting in the government. There might be

officials who are genuine with their jobs but a lot of them are just aiming for fame,

power, and money. It is time to assess ourselves with the decisions that we have when we

are voting for people suited for public service. Filipinos should be educated about their

responsibility as citizens of the country because the future of the nation depends on their

votes.

Moreover, according to the United Nations (2018), that voter and civic education

is essential in every election to guarantee that all citizens, male and female, know their

rights, understand the political system, and the issues at stake in the races, and know

where and when to cast their ballots. Voters need to know their rights and obligations,

have enough information to make educated decisions and be prepared to engage in the

electoral process in order for an election to be fair and democratic. The importance of

voter and civic education cannot be overstated, especially in nations emerging from

conflict, where political situations may be precarious and elections may have far-reaching

consequences for the future of the nation. Therefore, it is important that Filipinos should

be educated and educational attainment should be one of the qualifications to become a

qualified voter. If people are educated enough and not blinded by money and fame we
could have a government that truly cares for its people and government officials who are

genuine and loyal to their job and their promises.

Furthermore, it is also essential that people who are running for a government

position should have excellent credentials for them to qualify for public service. We do

not want individuals who lack knowledge on how to do their jobs or do public service

because their decisions will totally affect the people and the country. We do not want an

individual who is only an expert in acting yet has no knowledge about the law. How can

someone lead a nation without having the proper knowledge of how to lead? It is quite

ironic how people still choose to vote for those individuals and ask for a better

government. I think it is now the time that Filipinos need to change their bad habits

during the election process because we always aim for a better country but our actions do

not reflect our aims.

In addition, according to Ignacio (2019), there has been a discussion on whether

or not candidates for public office should have to meet a minimum educational

requirement for some time now. For a long time, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago

advocated adding education to the basic "must be able to read and write" qualification for

public office. Many people assume that a person must have a bachelor's degree or higher

in order to be an effective administrator or lawmaker due to the fact that they must deal

with and sometimes even draft legislation. For example, how can someone who can just

read and write become an effective legislator?

Thus, choosing the best and most qualified candidate is a crucial thing to do

during the election process because whatever the decisions of the people, they will

always bounce back to our nation. That is why, Filipinos should become responsible and
be educated to ensure that they will choose the best people who will lead the country for

development and progress. Nonetheless, it is essential that candidates know what exactly

is their job and has a wide and vast knowledge of the law. It is now time to change the

Filipino’s mindset of voting about who is more popular and think of the long-term

consequences that it may have after the election.

Ignacio, A. E. D. (2019, March 21). Educational Attainment as Qualification for

Candidates. HERALD EXPRESS | News in Cordillera and Northern Luzon.

https://baguioheraldexpressonline.com/educ-attainment-as-qualification-for-

candidates-2/

United Nation. (2018, April). Voter and Civic Education. United Nation.

https://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/wps/publication/Chapter5.htm