For the opening salvo, the administration’s Team PNoy will have its proclamation rally at the Plaza Miranda while the United Nationalist Alliance will have theirs in Cebu.
Although campaign rallies have lessened their importance as a vote- getting vehicle with the dominance of television and radio as sources of information on elections, barrio folks still look forward to them more as an entertainment show.
Campaign rallies usually feature entertainers. A rally of candidates for national positions (senators in this mid-term election) usually have movie and TV stars to attract a crowd. The masses enjoy free shows. It’s a balm to their weary body after a whole day of toil in the rice fields.
On the part of campaign organizers, campaign rallies are more of photo opportunities for them to show a big crowd on national TV hoping to create a bandwagon.
One good example of this were the out-of-town rallies of Manny Villar in the 2010 elections which were budgeted at P10 million per rally including the air fare, hotel accommodation of the performers and the productions staff, transport of equipment.
Headed by TV host Willie Revillame, a Villar political rally in 2010 was a concert. An excellently l-produced concert and usually held in open stadium attracting as many as 30,000 to 50,000 people who line up for the evening activity as early as lunchtime.
It’s dancing and singing from beginning to end by professional entertainers: Andrew E, Geneva Cruz, Ara Mina and others. The candidates and their usual vote-for-me spiels are only inserts, and are even regarded as distractions, in the concert.
In our after concert/rally interviews, the attendees expressed no commitment to vote for Villar. But they enjoyed the show.
That Villar lost big, despite those huge crowd, proved that the size of rally crowd does not necessary translate into votes.
Organizing political rallies costs a lot and requires a good organization. That’s why political parties these days hold big rallies as an opening salvo and at the close of the campaign period which would be on May 11. They may hold one or two big rallies in vote-rich provinces during the 90-day campaign period.
From one town to another, people lined up to catch a glimpse of Aquino. Others looked for his sister, Kris.
Former President Estrada’s rallies in 2010 were much smaller compared to the extravaganzas that he had in 1998 with no less than Da King, Fernando Poe, Jr. (who had his turn of political rallies in 2004) and Nora Aunor joining him onstage.
Rally crowds give a good idea of how the campaign is faring. A well-organized rally speaks of a good organization and adequate logistics which could work for the candidates’ favor on election day. But a ‘hakot’ crown could also mean that they were a paid audience and open to the highest bidder. That means the candidates could not be sure of their votes on election day.
In this election campaign, I imagine that the senatorial candidates would be divided into teams for them to cover as many places as possible.
Although the battleground today for the peoples’ vote is television through those outrageously expensive ads, there’s nothing like a face-to-face encounter and the touch of the flesh to win Juan and Maria’s heart and mind.
And instead of Candidates and voters going into the campaign to know the Plans and Action Plans of their leaders to be during the next years of Mandate, they will be Watching the same Entertainment and the same kind of shows they can easilly access in their TVs and PCs.
It would have been less expensive and less influence peddling if Party leaders will just do the National campaigning and Local Candidates will engage the local voters in a more personal style campaigning in getting to know their constituent…that is the only time that most voters can look at their future Reps eye to eye…
Starting tomorrow, try to keep your cool as your ears bleed with the jeepney or tricycle top-moounted, loud music-blaring trompas playing various versions of Oppa Gangnam Style or Call Me Maybe one after the other.
A once-in 3 years business opportunity for sound system rentals, portable genset rentals, jingle composers, recording studios and the like. This is only the “musical” aspect of the election year economics. There’s also the printing of leaflets, posters, streamers, tarps, sample ballots, negative ads, and t-shirts. Serious candidates, including the non-kurakots will have to shell out a bunch if they are prepared to slug it out.
Mabuti naman, ‘cuz it helps circulate money, whether clean or dirty, in the WHOLE country. Generates employment, too, even if temporary.
Pnoy, Congressmen, and Senators should follow the example of the President of Uruguay, he donates 90% of his salary to charity.
http://www.nairaland.com/1059222/uruguayan-president-donates-90-salary
Well, our politicians can also donate 90% of their kurakots… lol
Dalawa lang kandidato ko, working for a reelectionist and another for a female newbie. 🙂
Hindi ni nancy ha! hehehe….
hindi rin si gwen o mitz! nahahaha! Oopps, mga tradpols na pala ang ngm!
walang politiko ang gagawin ang ginawa ng pope- ang mag resign- either mamatay sila o ipasa sa anak ang posisyon, as if sila ang may ari ng posisyon- haaaay, we have to wait for the politician to die or their entire family to perish, then and only then will the other 40 million or so pinoyhave a chance , and that only happens in the philippines
Consider this… MAXIMUM contributions allowed per citizen to candidates , parties. Nomination, ridings or district party association is $5000 annually (contribution up to $1250 is entitled to 75 %rax refunds) and that includes the candidates which can only be allowed an extra $ 1000 to contribute to his own campaign for a total of $2000. The balance out of maximum is for parties at $1000 allowed, nomination at $1000 maximum and local candidates at $ 1000. Note that contributions are on ONGOING with it without the election in a year. Contributions to candidates can be done only during the campaign period when each of the candidate appointed his own TREASURER as mandated sworn to keep all records and election expense for a Particular candidate. Could be a professional accountant or any person with knowledge of the election rules in records keeping and political contributions and expense guidelines. any contribution in excess of $20 in sum should be issued Tax revenue receipt. And goods and services offered voluntarily maybe exempted if not excessive. There is also a guidelines to this regards. Now wonder not why our elections soo transparent, clean and less expensive. By the way parties expenses are also refunded if the party at least attracted 2 % of the votes cast. Otherwise it will be considered as nuisance ( the same with candidates) and will forfeit the nuisance deposit. A token amount …
And by the way due to indisputable fact that influence peddling can not be avoid from political contribution from business Interest and any group representing interest of any type, since 2006 under the massive amendment to the Accojmrabilty act (some 200 reform amendemnts) it is Now illegal for businesses, labour union or any group to Contribute for political funds through in any form. Even as channeled thru individual citizen contribution. Recall during the early days of the law, few attempts to defeat the law were uncovered and to give the would offenders the seriousness of defeating the objectives of the law, the offenders were Prosecuted and justly punished. No more allegations since then..also during the nomination of party leadership some Party Leader hopefuls tried the same tricks. As the limits for nominee is the same to everyone else, $max of 1000, giving the money to others to contribute is the MO, they usually got caught, and they were surprised how,,forgot that walls have ears and eyes and the Cops have friends that could be also the politicians’ friends, but more of patriotic type. Yes sir being nationalistic and patriotic is more than just verbalizing it.
Tapos na si Lolo Johnny, bagsak na rin si Jackie.
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Approval ratings of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile dropped 27 percentage points from 73% in November 2012 in the latest Pulse Asia survey after a controversial word war over the distribution of the Senate’s funds that resulted in JPE’s COS Gigi Reyes resignation.
Enrile admitted giving additional maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) funds to 18 senators without distributing the largesse to Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Antonio Trillanes IV and Pia Cayetano. abs-cbnnews.com
Paiimbestigahan pa daw ni Miriam and book memoirs ni JPE kasi hindi true. Bilisan mo Miriam!