22 March 2013 - To have even the slightest chance of getting elected to the Philippine senate, a senatorial candidate must first of all have enough political expertise to back up his goals and agendas as well as a familiar charm about him that will appeal to the registered voters all across the Philippines. This is what political commentators and analysts think are the ways in which candidates can win the hearts and minds of the masses, namely the working class, who make up the biggest percentage of the voting population. In addition to this, it helps that senatorial hopefuls have had, throughout their long political careers, a dedication to the working class, for the reason that the working class never really forgets the good deeds done to them by political candidates. So it is no wonder that the former congressman of Cagayan and current senatorial hopeful Jack Enrile is presently one of the twelve most popular senatorial candidates, at least according to the recent Pulse Asia survey. When he served four terms as the congressman of the First District of the Province of Cagayan, Jack thoroughly dedicated his political life in helping solve the everyday problems of the province’s working class farmers, who were facing, on a day to day basis, hunger and poverty. As a result of seeing all this hardship, Jack took the initiative and created and championed two bills that would help cement him as the person for the masses.
The “Food Requirement Plan for Filipinos” bill and the “Batas Kasambahay”: the two bills Jack Enrile created sought to solve the problems of hunger and inadequate welfare and working conditions for the workforce, respectively. On one hand, the “Food Requirement Plan for Filipinos” bill urged the Department of Agriculture to cease the export of our country’s local food supply to foreign markets, and instead uniformly allocate the greater part of our rich local food supply by the doorsteps of countless Filipino families who are suffering from hunger. On the other hand, the “Batas Kasambahay” insisted on providing better welfare and working conditions to one of the largest workforces in the country: i.e. household helpers. Not only was this bill popular among working class people, but it won overwhelming support from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and thus the bill was implemented into law last December 2012. So if Jack Enrile continues to be the senatorial candidate for the masses, then a place in the Senate House is readily at hand.
