The time is near. It's heating up. They're on TV, radio, in the newspapers. They say how much better things would be with them instead of the other guy. "I vow to change the way things are run!" they bellow. Signs, placards, billboards, posters, t-shirts. Election season here feels, well, like election season back home. The same promises. The same accusations. The same politicians tossing around the same political rhetoric that you hear anywhere in the US every few years. There is, however, one thing that makes the political season here in the Philippines especially interesting. It's not a particular candidate or issue. (You must understand, as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I am not allowed to venture into the world of politics. I am required to remind you that we are, as an organization, apolitical. So I won't tell you that one candidate or another is better or worse.) This season is not interesting because of the many cheesy TV advertisements (though there are some that are particularly delightful...) It's the jingles. Political jingles seem to be what everyone uses to try and get elected over here. A lot of volunteers are annoyed by the barrage of political jingles that has been dumped on us this past month. I can empathize. Erin and I have the luxury of living outside of the town proper, so our exposure to the songs is more diluted than other volunteers who actually live in a town and who are constantly bombarded by these various and ubiquitous melodies. However, even though we live in a remote barangay far away from the town center, we still get them. Oh yes, we get to hear them all.
Before I go any further, I don't want anyone to get a false impression of what I mean when I write "jingle". Re-Reading this, if I wasn't here listening to them every day, I would think, "By golly! Jingles, huh? Those sound cute and fuzzy and like they're on the radio. If I didn't like one, I could change the station." They may be on the radio. Some of them are for sure. They may be cute. The first few (dozen) times. But the majority of the jingles, cute or not, are found on trucks. Big trucks. Big trucks with big speakers. Not big speakers. Huge speakers. Big Trucks With Huge Speakers. Big Trucks With Huge Speakers that you can't turn off. Every day, these Big Trucks With Huge Speakers (we'll refer to them as 'BTWHS' from now on) roll through town, around town, outside of town--everywhere. Every day, they blare their wares for everyone to hear, whether these people want to listen or not.
The best thing about these BTWHS is what exactly they are blaring. Now, every candidate here, from what I've seen, needs to have some sort of theme. First, they need to have a color for all of their signs and paraphernalia. Then, they need a font and/or a catchy slogan for said signs and paraphernalia. Fonts and catchy slogans are just as important as colors. But definitely, more important than anything else a candidate can do, is their particular jingle. These BTWHS are draped in colorful signs with carefully picked fonts blasting their jingle. From my research and extensive first hand experience with these jingles, I've developed a 3 part theory of what politicians look for when choosing a political jingle. While they may at first seem like simple songs extolling the virtues of a candidate, these jingles are complex things and are not taken lightly.
First, a good jingle needs to be loud. The louder (it seems) the better.
Second, it needs to be sung to a catchy (or even better, a popular and catchy) tune. Third, it needs to be,well, really loud. I like to imagine these politicians in their strategy sessions huddled around a table in a smoke-filled room strategizing for hours trying to find the perfect decibel level for their perfectly chosen song (140-180 seems to be the level used by most BTWHS)
Politician--"I like it, but it should be louder."
Strategy guy--"WHAT?"
Politician--"I SAID I LIKE IT, BUT IT SHOULD BE LOUDER!"
Strategy guy--"OK, I'LL GET YOU SOME MORE POWDER!"
Politician--"NO THANKS, I'M NOT HUNGRY. I DON'T EVEN LIKE CHOWDER!"
So inevitably, the BTWHS are blaring their respective songs very loudly. Remember, that is usually the first thing that is looked at when choosing a song. After agreeing on a level of loudness, there needs to be consensus as to the actual tune itself. A lot of candidates choose cool 80's American songs. Those are good choices. Very catchy, lots of repeated refrain. An 80's song is a good choice. Others go for popular Filipino songs. These candidates know their constituency and their jingle reflects that knowledge. My vote, however, for Favorite Political Song Set to a Popular Tune (**Insert Official Peace Corps Disclaimer Here Regarding Apolitical-ness**: Any preference stated herein, within or hitherto is that of a song (i.e. "jingle") of a particular candidate who shall, and will, remain nameless. This preference does not in any way shape or form reflect an advocacy or support, implied or otherwise, either on my behalf or US Peace Corps as an organization, as to this unnamed politician. The author and his boss (Erin) just feel that the song is cool. **End of Official Peace Corps Disclaimer**) goes to a particular mayoral candidate whose feats and ambitions are set to the noble and refined Ricky Martin tune, "Livin' la Vida Loca." It's really original and wonderful. Original, wonderful and, of course, loud. The words are great, I think the refrain, when translated, goes something like (remember, sung to the tune of Livin' La Vida Loca) "Please, Let him be your mayor!" I do have to admit, as loud and sometimes annoying as these songs are, they can be pretty catchy. After one of the BTWHS passes by our house, that particular song will be stuck in my head until the next truck rumbles by (there's usually only a few minutes between BTWHS) and I have for a period of time what the Germans lovingly call an "Ohrwurm" (pretty easy to translate--literally "Ear Worm" but contextually, "Song stuck in your head for a long time." Really. That's what it's called). Active campaigning is prohibited here for 2 days before the election, probably so people will get a chance to 1.Regain any lost hearing incurred by the slew of BTWHS and 2.Get rid of any Ear Worms they may have and try to make a sensible choice for their vote.
So that is a tiny glance at the world of politics here. The elections are on May 14th, and to be honest, I'm going to kind of miss the trucks and the signs and the songs. It's exciting. Loud, but exciting. For now, though, I'm going to go take a nap. If I could only get this silly worm out of my ear...

Scott


Not the biggest of a BTWHS, but big...and loud.

A little bit bigger, a little bit louder.

FLOW Camp

We recently had a wonderful time facilitating a FLOW (Future Leaders of Our World) Camp up north in Baguio City with some of our Peace Corps friends. It was a three day youth camp covering topics like; self-awareness, leadership, environment and relationships. One of the camp's many highlights was when the winning team at the end of the three days was rewarded with the opportunity to cut off Scott's hair! Enjoy the pictures!

Erin's team, the Crazy Caribou!


A large and probably dangerous human pyramid


All lined up for relay races


A before picture, one last look at that flowing mane

The Dangerous Dragons, the winning team, begin to chop away. They left a mullet for quite a while and then cut it down to just a tail in the back. . .yuck!


Snip snip, these kids were not messing around!


And. . .the after shot! He is smiling because they don't really have mirrors in the Philippines. He didn't even know what it looked like until I, his caring wife, made him go to a barber shop a day and a half later!

All in all a very successful week. We hope to duplicate the camp a few times back on our island.