Hi, I am Jody and I am not much for politics. I hate it in the workplace, and I don’t read enough of history to write an educated opinion for anyone who wants to reference it. I am just a person who listens when my parents watch the news over dinner, and reads up on articles on Rappler or CNN Philippines.

Why am I referencing politics then if I can’t contribute much? Because last week, I joined the throng of last minute voters registering at the satellite offices, wanting to be part of the voting public. I was registered at 18, at my dad’s town, as we were there often and spent enough time to know the local candidates. However I wasn’t able to vote in the 2013 and 2015 elections, as I had crucial in person meetings on both voting days. In the Philippines, if you haven’t voted for two elections, and currently if you don’t have biometrics recorded in the system, you can’t vote. I hit both those criteria and saw the lineup for candidates, and found a bit of hope.

Thus the eleven hours of waiting in line to make sure I would be able to vote, because I cannot let my vote go to waste. I won’t let another election pass by just sitting at the sidelines. Will my vote matter much? Not likely personally. However, people like me, decry what’s happening to the government and not participate in it, bigger picture. If we all registered and voted for people we’ve read up on for what they’ve done, their abilities and qualifications, maybe, just maybe we can make enough of an impact so that those in power will take notice. That the moves and bills of the coming government will think about not just the super rich or majority poor, but those of us in the middle. Will think about how our lives are affected day to day.

The craptastic MRT we use to ride to work everyday. The massive amount of tax we have to surrender every time we receive a paycheck. Our safety when we go through ports and airports. These issues will matter to these lawmakers and those who uphold because we’ve been part of those who put them in office and will keep them there. Our voices will matter because we’ll be constituents and not just complainers.

I will have a voice. And so should you.