A Politics of the Personal

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Let me share with you a nice article on Noynoy Aquino by Dr. Melba Maggay, President of the Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture, a 31-year old research and training organization engaged in development, missiology and cross-cultural studies aimed at social transformation.

She discusses the resurgence of hope among Filipinos resulting from the announcement of Noynoy's candidacy in next year's election.

...what we are witnessing is not the politics of personalism but the power of the personal. People are not drawn to Noynoy because of personal charisma, as with the case of Joseph Estrada. Like Cory... he is not... considered experienced nor competent enough. He is not even visually appealing.

 

But Noynoy has something that is of utmost importance: a legacy that people can trust. As a vendor puts it, Kahit paano, 'yang mga Aquino, 'di yan magnanakaw...

 

Social trust, like social capital, is one of those intangibles that oil the machinery of governance... A major task of leadership is the capacity to inspire faith in the integrity and efficacy of its institutions. Societies fail when the trust level is so low that people can not even take the word of their leaders seriously, much less begin to cooperate and build things together...

 

There is nothing wrong with our culture nor with the expectations of our people. What is wrong is that our leaders continually betray them and their hopes.

 

Here's Dr. Maggay's full article...