Rizal People; They Know

 The electorate had spoken. Only hours since the closing of PCOS machines at 7:00 PM yesterday, things have changed, quickly redefining the Philippines in an obvious attempt to turn the next three, grueling years of our country's political timeline into a soothing landscape fertile enough to serve as a greener pasture. Thanks to PCOS - although with few, minute cloud of doubts formed with questions of mechanical efficiency, generally, everything went well.

Rizal -my beloved town, earlier proclaimed a new, incoming mayor in councilor Lito Andres. As a first timer in a position still being held by incumbent Oly Placido for three, full terms ending in June, expectations are surely running high. The past decade proved to set standards both in public service and public perception for community leadership and he looks so determined to surpass if not match what his predecessors have inculcated within the annals of Rizal's glorious history. The last is a surefire one steep hill to tackle. Tackling it needs summoning all his strength while the people of Rizal is wishing him well...and watching him rather closely.

The citizens of this town are historically cooperative and submissive (not really in that particular order). Never in its richly detailed past ever had shedding of blood for a meager political gain. The past election season may have brought in divided ideals and "some" echoes of murky propaganda practically common during such season, but after the event everyone will end as friends -clasping of arms and hands singing Rizal March by Senor Alunen (+) on top of their lungs. But one thing to note: These great people of Rizal may be that submissive and cooperative but they are keen observer and a quiet skimmer capable of seeing beyond the acts -perhaps a hundred-fold more efficient than the recently reused optical scanner in the manner of detecting what's real and what 's bogus come feeding of the new mayor's official ballot-like resume in the people's imaginative PCOS for his plans and jobs for the next three years. They know, like in a magnifying lens of a scrutinizing clandestine worker, the end justifies the means.

2013 election is done. Faces of varying emotions of happiness, gloom and laid-back ones are now meeting, greeting and consoling each other in attempt to celebrate with the winners, pacify or cheer for the losers and let the wheel of the bus go round and round further down the road of life. Winning or losing yesterday's election may have created huge fuss in our town's total mentality yet again but it's not the final, not the end. Real work is up ahead. Let us all brace up, fasten our seat belts. This is just another beginning of a voyage for the future we are all bound to go. But be careful, because again, the people is watching, the people know.