The prospect of a ‘tsinelas leadership’

“Susuotan natin ng tsinelas ang gobyerno. (We will shod the government in slippers.)”

It’s a promise that Vice President Leni Robredo has adopted from her late husband, Naga Mayor Jessie Robredo, who gave Naguenyos real, measurable, and evidenced-based progress for which he won a Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2000 for Government Service.

Mayor Jesse, who was also interior secretary for some time until his death in 2013, was known to go around the city to interact with Naguenyos in slippers. He also famously said that “(t)he most important ingredient of leadership is character. Most of the proficiencies can be learned. It is what is inside you that is difficult to change.” He was a certified servant leader who practiced the values of empowerment, transparency, and good governance.

The same values embodied by his widow have prompted a spirit of volunteerism never before seen in the history of Philippine presidential elections. Cut-and-dried volunteerism is outside the remit of the government, and is native to work in nongovernment organizations, the likes of which VP Robredo did when she lawyered for the poor in the Bicol region for years. This proves that NGO principles and processes, which are more transparent and accountable, can be embedded in government work. Thus, a Robredo presidency will entrench volunteerism in government from Malacañang to local government units. This is unique and will put the Philippines on the world map again, like the Edsa People Power Revolt did in 1986.

Teams of Robredo volunteers called “Kakampinks” have highlighted the presidential candidate’s background in community organizing at the grassroots level. Like her, each volunteer is hard-wired to engage in scheduled and unscheduled relief work even as they join campaign sorties. Like her, they’ve also learned to collaborate with the corporate sector and civil society during emergencies in the aftermath of typhoons, floods, earthquakes, and other disasters.

Most of the thousands of young and old volunteers are tech-savvy, and have helped the Vice President maximize branding in her quest for the highest post of the land. Social media is now awash with the pink color identified with her candidacy. As for the supposed estrangement from the internet and online communication of the DE classes, which comprise the majority of voters, VP Robredo’s offline presence has proven magnetic enough to be beyond the tricks of online trolls and purveyors of disinformation.

With traditional politics still prevalent, the use of guns, goons, and gold is bound to rear its ugly head again, but no longer with impunity as woke, tech-savvy, and enlightened Kakampinks are bound to confront it head-on.

With a servant leader offering to lead the country, there’s no better time than now to take advantage of this rare opportunity. It is really up to us Filipinos to act on our collective wish for a better country.

NONO FELIX
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