There was one time my dear husband suggested about getting our own home. I told him that it wouldn’t be a feasible idea because as I see it, God is calling us to be nomads for now – hold no permanent residence. 🙂

My siblings and I used to rent an apartment in Cubao and we’ve stayed there since 1998. When my husband and I got married back in 2015, we decided to stay there, too, since I was the only one left to manage the place. Come 2017, hubby and I decided to move to Makati City close to his workplace – he used to travel for a minimum of 6 hrs from Cubao to Makati City and vice versa. My family then decided to keep the apartment in Cubao, though nobody stayed there anymore, as a storage place for all our belongings and furniture.

In 2018, my sister was able to buy a condominium unit in Pasig City and my family decided to transfer all of our things from Cubao to Pasig. Since there’s a yearly rental increase in our Makati condo unit and my sister also lives in Norway, hubby and I decided to leave Makati and relocate to Pasig after agreeing with my sister that we’ll shoulder the condo’s association dues and utility fees and handle the upkeep of the place.

This was also the reason why I couldn’t settle with an office job in the past how many years. But God has been faithful enough to provide me with other means of income by being a remote worker. I took a lot of risks though and yet this has always been my prayer:

Officially A Pasigueño

My husband and I can now officially call ourselves as Pasigueños because this will be our semi-permanent residence. And yet, I told him that I don’t see ourselves staying here until we grow old. There are just so many endeavors and visions that God is calling us to fulfill in the future.

After finally settling here in Pasig City last year, it didn’t cross my mind that the mid-term elections will be held a year after. For 27 years, the city has been under the ruling of a political dynasty – the Eusebios. But with the recent mid-term elections, that long-term reign was ended by a 29-year old councilor from Pasig who’s the opposing candidate for the mayoral position.

I did my research on now Mayor Vico Sotto and he does carry the right credentials though political analysts referred to him as somewhat too young and a bit inexperienced to hold the position as a mayor. But while watching all his interviews during the campaign period, I can tell that he was called to hold the spot at just the right time. It is true that he doesn’t have the campaign machinery compared to the Eusebios, and yet, there is something about him that made the people decide to vote for him.

We cannot dismiss the fact though that he is good-looking being the son of popular showbiz personalities, Ms. Coney Reyes and Mr. Vic Sotto (all ladies will agree here). This can be one reason why he won but it was evident in all his interviews that he wasn’t interested to be on the showbiz limelight. His campaign efforts were also simple without the usual full entertainment lineup of famous showbiz personalities though he has the means to do so.

In all fairness to the Eusebios, I haven’t stayed here in Pasig for a long period of time to speak about how they have ruled the city in the past 27 years. Just like in the Bible, God allows certain rulers to lead a kingdom and ends their reign in His perfect time, too, to satisfy His greater purpose.

History Repeating Itself – David and Goliath

But what got everybody interested in the race for the mayoral position between Mayor Vico Sotto and former Mayor Bobby Eusebio is its similarity to the David-Goliath story in the Bible. Here is a more experienced, bigger victor who’s challenged by a younger, less experienced opponent. And just like how the story in the Bible ended, David won.

On a side note, I am also in this season where I am desperate for God’s wisdom because circumstances, yet again, called for another big decision. I asked for His will and His instructions asking Him to clear my heart from any motives that might displease Him. And to reveal a part of His plans as well as the sacrifices that I need to make even if it means going against what most people would have wanted, losing “worldly privileges,” and not being on par with the world’s standards. His answer came from the story of David found in this verse:

Going back to Mayor Vico Sotto, he wants to end the trend of political dynasties and he already promised he won’t be staying long in the seat of power because he only wanted to leave a legacy. The way I see it, it is like David training a successor in the likes of Solomon. If Mayor Vico doesn’t plan on being the mayor of Pasig for a couple of terms, I am praying he will have a successor who will also follow in his footsteps (God-led ways) and fulfill God’s plans.

It’s just amazing how the scene where David came out of hiding and stepped up to regain the throne that King Saul left when he and his son died was very similar to Mayor Vico Sotto’s statement why he’s running for mayor – no one else was contesting the spot and he felt he has to do it. The way I see it, though, it is only the start of the many trials that the new mayor will encounter in facing even “bigger Goliaths.” And this is the part where I would like to cover him with prayers for protection, guidance, strength, courage, and most of all faith in God and God alone.

What Pasig Can Expect From The New Mayor

While listening to him share his political agendas and platform, I was relieved to find out that he is focusing on social development. This includes improving the healthcare privileges of Pasigueños and in engaging the citizens not just in the civic and social affairs but also in the political agenda of the local government such as the “Freedom of Information” bill or the Pasig Transparency Mechanism Ordinance, which he passed last year as one of the city’s councilors. It is also good to note that he promised not to remove all the existing programs implemented by the previous mayor but to enhance them further.

While doing this article at work (I love my editor for being a blessing to me in so many ways), I also came across the Youth Development Center in Pasig. I did my research and found out that it is a facility that provides educational support to underprivileged youths and offers assistance when it comes their social development. They provide free workshops in music, theater, arts, culinary, etc.

It is among my long list of plans, God willing, to hold a free writing workshop for kids or teens and I thought that this is one great opportunity. I just pray that this is also one of the city’s programs that will receive the local government’s full support.

Serve the Country By Serving the Community

I always have a heart for community outreaches and social services. I’ve been volunteering in the community outreach programs organized by our church and even by other organizations in the past. This is the least that we can do to help our community and not rely on our government alone.

When it comes to assessing the political agendas of our government officials, I also hope this will be our mindset – they do not have that one-solution-for-all program where every single problem in the community will be addressed and resolved overnight. If the society thinks that we have failed leaders in the past, methinks they have also served a good purpose in God’s plan.

From the perspective of a Christian, changes happen depending on God’s timeline and according to His plans. Though He appoints leaders, some of which we presume as “bad” according to our standards, and yet with God, it doesn’t seem to be that way.

A Better Life For All

If we want to aim for a better community and a better life, it has to be a collective effort between the people and the government. I am praying for a government whose best interest is to uplift the lives of its constituents and who fears God most of all.

Yes, Mayor Vico Sotto may have promised he will only hold the office for a certain period of time as he is not in favor of political dynasties. And yet, I know God has His own timeline for every government official and political leader.

In cases where His plans aren’t fulfilled because of our own free will, He will also make a way to appoint in due time those who rightfully reign and this includes preparing the right successors among the next generations of servant leaders.

“For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:9

I believe the time has already come for the transition to take place when it comes to passing the baton from the generations of”Baby Boomers” and Gen X, to the Gen Y or the millennials and Gen Z. But let’s not forget that we are who we are because of the people who came before us. And we won’t accomplish anything if it is apart from what God wants to be done. 🙂

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

Praying for the best in Philippine politics this 2019,