Environment Friendly Campaigning

I watched TV and learned from the news that campaign period for May 2010 National Election already started. Though streamers, banners, posters and campaign paraphernalia of some candidates can already be seen all over the place, you cannot tell if the legal campaign period already started because it is common practice of some candidates here in the Philippines to violate the prescribed campaign period.

As usual Philippines ' election always marred by cheating, mudslinging and violence. Money is flooding during election and the recent Maguindanao massacre is a reminder that Philippine politics is still very much dominated by goons, guns and gold. There is already some action that were done to prevent this from happening like the computerization of this year election. This is a welcome development, and lets pray that this will already stop cheating and other election violation.

Another good development is the issue of global warming; it is now becoming an issue in this year election. Unlike on all the previous elections, the environment is always taken for granted. Not even one brought up the problem with our environment.

We can now see some environment concern citizens that are begging to the candidate to take consideration of the environment when campaigning. They also encourage voters not to vote for those candidates who will not take care of the environment. And you can hear now some candidate that environment is already part of their agenda.

Unfortunately, for some candidates, it is just a lip service. You can still see their posters, banners and streamers hanging on trees. Some were nailed and tied to tree branches, which harm the tree that helps clean the air. And like on all previous election, the campaign materials become a nightmare for garbage collectors and street cleaners. Most of these campaign materials are made of plastic or tarpaulins which take years before it will decompose. Most of this will be added to mountains of garbage that emits methane gas.

Its time for them to change their way of advertising their name and agenda. Instead of using poster, banner or streamers, print their name and agenda in a shirt, GI-sheet, plywood, mugs, caps or umbrella. They can distribute the shirts with their name to victims of calamities, like Typhoon Ondoy and Mayon volcano eruption. The GI-sheet can be used as roof and plywood as wall by those who lost their homes due to these calamities. Use materials that can be useful to our daily lives so that it will not end up in the garbage can. This will also helps industries that manufactured this kind of products. They can also use media like television, newspaper, Internet and radio, using this media will give them enough exposure in the whole countryside without harming the environment.

Let also hope that our Commission on Election will include the banning of campaign materials and way of campaigning that will be harmful to the environment on their rules and regulations. And the new leaders will implement their promise of protecting the environment and hope all the voters will include environment as one of the factor of choosing a candidate. Let me borrow the parting word of one of TV reporters, if a candidate cannot take care of the environment during campaign period how can we trust them of our future when they win.