Campaigning, Filipino Style

JANUARY - JUNE 2004
Special Election Issue

Featured Sections

THE CAMPAIGN

First-World Techniques, Third-World Setting

The X-Men: The Story of Activists-Turned Political Consultants

With a Little Help from (U.S.) Friends

Much Ado about Numbers

Spinning the News

Half-Truths in Advertising

Campaigns on the High-Tech Road

Songs in the Key of Politics

PHOTO ESSAY

The Presidency as Image

ELECTION PERSPECTIVES

Elections are like Water

Between Tinsel and Trapo

The Enigma of the Popular Will

VOTER'S VOICE

First-time Voter

Regular Voter

Non-Voter

Hope and Elections in Payatas

THE LIGHTER SIDE

Making (Non)Sense of Politics

Election Lexicon

Quickie Quiz for the Politically Insane

All these from i’s special election issue

i, the investigative reporting magazine

Order your copy now!

T H E C A M P A I G N — C A M P A I G N I N G , F I L I P I N O S T Y L E

6. Find a well-loved movie star that you think resembles you and ask her to endorse you.

7. Create a jingle. (It better be a good one, as the Filipino's love for music is legendary.)

Jazz up your original ditties and make promises of hope and redemption.

'Pag si Ping ang aking pangulo
Tapos ang hirap, tapos ang gulo.
- Ping Lacson

Kaya si Brother Eddie na ang ating iboto
Nang tumino na ang ating gobyerno.
- Eddie Villanueva

Nasa iyo ang kinabukasan
May bagong umagang parating.
- FPJ. (Okay, this one was originally Bayang Barrios's entry in a pop music contest, but the lyrics were perfect for any candidate.)

Or pay huge amounts to buy the rights to already popular songs

[Parokya ni Edgar's 'Mr. Suave']

[Sex Bomb's 'Ispageti Song']

[The folk song 'Leron Leron Sinta.' Hers is 'Loren Loren Sinta']

[Willie Revillame's 'Pito-Pito']

8. Court the youth. (After all, half of all voters are below the age of 35.)

9. Get those hands working (and we don't mean just by shaking hands with total strangers).

10. Entertain. (And hope they stay and listen to your speeches afterward.)
Emerge on the stage wrapped in clouds of smoke and bathed in multicolored spotlights. Get the Comedy King to make your intro and tell people how gorgeous you are. Have Vic and Joey sing and the hot Sex Bomb Dancers to cue your entrance, thereby completing a political version of "Eat Bulaga." (FPJ, campaign kick-off, Cuneta Astrodome)

Have Mr. Pure Energy, Gary V, cap your campaign rally. (Bro. Eddie, February 22, Luneta grandstand)

Get Kris Aquino on stage to say you are without doubt the best, as she does for floor tiles, corned beef, cell phones, and skin whiteners. Throw Boy Abunda into the package and let the audience pretend they're watching a live episode of "The Buzz." (GMA)