New age politics: The Dawn of the Tarpaulins

Illustration by Manix Abrera

I miss the days when all you can see on the streets come election time are streamers bearing the candidate's name and their undying call to Vote Wisely or Vote Straight. Back when being wise wasn't just a word but a common occurrence. or when the word straight wasn't used to denote sexual preference but an adjective to describe a line.

As if words can never be enough to describe human misery, man or the devil himself invented a new way to taunt our existence, along came...

The dawn of the Tarpaulins.

And all hell broke lose. 

The next generation politicians are now more equipped to flash a wide eyed semi- smile. A half grin, half-constipated mask of genuine sincerity now plagues the streets of the country. 8 months prior to the May elections, and 5 months before the actual campaign period starts. The mission to lure the clueless and the gullible majority starts early too.

I don't know of any study that would support my hypothesis, but I don't think I would need statistics to back up my claim that the busiest and perhaps the most profitable period for those who run the printing businesses here in the country, particularly that of the graphics/tarpaulin is during election period which normally starts a year before the election. It's when the aspirants start to adorn the streets with their faces, or the incumbent mayor running for re-elections writes a litany of their accomplishments and puts them on... tarpaulins.

Or just literally finds any occasion worthy of posting a tarpaulin.

Should the use of tarpaulins be regulated?

Unless:

1. It's my birthday.

2. It's a photo of Georgina Wilson.

3. There are no hungry evacuees/ typhoon victims waiting for the honorable politician to come and grace them with their presence for the food to be finally be distributed after the photo ops 

4. It is used to communicate plans, programs and activities of the local government unit.

Rather than the close up smile that we see on tarpaulins, or the empty accomplishments posted on walls. People should concentrate more on the platform/ track record of the candidates. Voting wisely isn't a bad idea. Unless its the last name of your crooked congressman.