philippine literature

The May 2010 election was considered to be the cleanest and fastest elections in the Philippines since the restoration of elite democracy after the dark Martial Law years of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. This is despite the controversies looming on the automated elections, the system glitches during the elections, the failure of elections in some towns, the reported massive vote buying, the reported pre-shading of ballots, the millions of disenfranchised voters, most of them first time voters, among others. These irregularities and actual election problems are seemingly left-out due to the convincing win, by a very large margin, of Noynoy-the expected winner according to pre-election surveys.
After the proclamation and formal assumption into office, along with fancy celebrations and parties, the new government of Noynoy Aquino is now starting to confront the challenges and problems of the country. Its cabinet is now almost complete and its policies and programs, though slowly, are taking shape out of the motherhood statements and broad campaign slogans. With the winning of Aquino, surveys showed that there is an increased optimism for a better life in the coming months among Filipinos from all classes. The promise of good governance have impacted the people and an atmosphere of relief from nine (9) years of mismanagement, illegitimacy and very corrupt governance is certainly in the air. This situation compelled various sectors, especially the Left, to discuss and debate on how we should deal with this new government.
The Victory of Noynoy and Its Character
Noynoy, being a former member of the House of Representatives and the Senate does not boast of an impressive legislative career. He was silent on some major issues of the country and was not a very vocal critic of the previous regime. He only rose to the limelight of the media after the death of his mother last year. Thus what made him won?
The election into office of Noynoy Aquino is certainly a