“Looking” – At 183 Candidates For Any of 12 Senatorial Positions In The Philippines. “Visioning” – Any Candidate With Vision?

There are 183 candidates for the May 2025 PH senatorial positions – vying for only 12 seats, or more than 10 candidates for each senatorial position. My Question: “Why is the Senate such an attractive place for public office?”

Dwight de Leon says, “Erwin Tulfo Runs For Senator, Says ‘Let People Decide’ Amid Dynasty Tag” (06 Oct 2024, Rappler, rappler.com). “If they all win next year, there will be five Tulfos in Congress at the same time – the three brothers in the Senate, and Senator Raffy's wife and son in the House.” (Tulfo image from verafiles.org)

Dynasty? I’m writing this not to directly counter popularity only as basis for choice but to offer advice on how to choose your Senator – use the candidate’s Vision!

Let us learn from Camille Villar (top image, PhilStar): “’Younger, millennial  perspective’ kaya kong ibigay sa Senado – Camille Villar.” Good girl!

“Younger, millennial perspective” – We voters should choose a senatorial candidate who has Vision – and Mission!

Vision: the candidate’s grand dream in serving the people.
Mission: what is to be done to bring about that Vision to reality.

My Personal Vision: As an Agriculturist (UPLB 1965), I dream of our country’s “Liberation Of 3 Million Farmers From Poverty”!

Mission for the Vision: Farmers assisted financially and technically in pursuing farming practices that are Very Low Costs=Very High Returns. That would require Regenerative Agriculture, which has this list:

(1) Cover Cropping, (2) Crop Rotation, (3) Farm Crops + Tree Crops (Agroforestry), (4) Green Manuring, (5) Intercropping, (6) Multiple Cropping, (7) No-Till Farming, (8) Organic Fertilization, (9) Ratooning, (10) Rotational Grazing, (11) “Three Sisters” Planting, (12) Trap Cropping, (13) Trash Mulching.

None of the candidates for Senator would know that very high costs that bring about very low returns is the main cause of the poverty of millions of Filipino farmers? Candidates, please: adopt A Pro-Poor Farmer Agenda!

I will give Mr Tulfo my vote if he can present a liberating Vision for his country, including my poor farmers.

Mr De Leon says, “The (Tulfo) brothers are already the frontrunners in pre-election surveys, so the likelihood of both winning seats is very high.”

Unfortunately – as things stand today, not one of the 183 candidates for Senator has a Vision and Mission for the country! My poor country the Philippines!

If elected, Mr Tulfo said he will prioritize legislation for the middle class. He says, “They are sometimes forgotten or often left behind because the government is focused on those in the margins. What about those in the middle class? What about the professionals, those just below the middle class, those working in fast food, sales clerks, security guards?”

“Maybe it’s time we also pay attention to our fellow citizens who aren’t usually noticed – the ones in the middle. Maybe they’re calling for higher wages, more benefits, and I will also introduce, if there’s a chance, retirement benefits for those working in the private sector.”

That’s Vision.

But I insist: “Senatorial Candidate, what is your Vision for PH Agriculture?”@517