It’s been a really shitty year and a half.

I’ll be honest: The pandemic has pushed my mental capacity and patience to the brink. There’s not much left.

I don’t feel any confidence or trust in the direction society is taking or how we’re supposed to handle and endure the situation we find ourselves in. I don’t think we’re the only people vacillating between uncertainty and bleak cynicism. You see all these countries and communities around the world struggle. Rich and poor countries have their own challenges, each with their own issues. I don’t think we’re doing as badly as others but are our expectations so low that we’re grateful not to be ranked the worst?

A dream would be for our country to aspire for radical change and alter our narrative. Assuming we conquer the pandemic and move forward, where do we go from here? What do we have planned to make a difference today and set the tone for tomorrow?

'Let’s be productive and stop looking at our leaders to make change. Let’s look at each other and take action for the world we want to live in.'

These are interesting times we live in. We must adjust our actions and lifestyles to adapt to a fast-changing world. As a nation, are we aware of the situation? As an individual, I must admit, I’m still confused and grappling with a sense of bewilderment every time I read the headlines. How do we take action in positive, meaningful ways in order to enact change for ourselves and others?

Sustainability is not just a buzzword but a goal we have to strive for. Our industry relies on a healthy food system so naturally, equal rights and opportunities for farmers should take priority.

Climate change is real and it’s here. I don’t think this issue takes precedence for the majority, because we’re drowning in problems (poverty, hunger, inflation, red-tagging, I could go on). But maybe the soon-to-be-unbearable summer heat and rolling brownouts may remind us that climate change is a problem we need to fix (maybe energy security, too—and clean energy at that).

As a chef, I look at these issues and recognize how it directly affects our F&B industry. Sustainability is not just a buzzword but a goal we have to strive for. Our industry relies on a healthy food system so naturally, equal rights and opportunities for farmers should take priority. It sounds basic, but they need to be prioritized. They are the guardians of our basic needs—food.

For me, a push towards self-sufficiency in our food chain is key to ensure our generation and future generations have the proper nutrition to succeed. Imports for staples like rice should be treated like a band-aid while we search for the long-term solution.

A discussion about farmer’s rights provides insight into the discussion of issues for the everyday Filipino. What are we supposed to prioritize? Should we talk about injustice and human rights? Food sustainability and hunger? Should we finally talk about overpopulation and environmental conservation? I don’t know where the problems begin or end.

The burden of leadership and responsibility means your job is exactly this: to ask these questions and look for the answers. It is difficult to imagine the kind of people who would want this job. It’s thankless, difficult and demanding to a level only global leaders past and present would understand. It takes an extremely special person to fill it and getting elected is a different skill set from leading and governing.

A calm and collected presence amid the uncertainty of tomorrow. A steady hand that assures me of our direction. A unifier who transcends political agendas, personal interests and opposing ideologies.

A key thought: focus on what we can control and recognize that our leader, that individual we decide to vote for, will not solely be responsible for our success as a nation. It will be reliant on us to be leaders in our own circles of influence. So now the question: Who inspires us and makes us aspire to become the leaders we should be?

I can throw in a bunch of traits and characteristics so that your mind would paint a very blurry, pixelated picture of the person who fits the profile. A few sentences describing my vision for a leader, or a wish list. Something like:

A calm and collected presence amid the uncertainty of tomorrow. A steady hand that assures me of our direction. A unifier who transcends political agendas, personal interests and opposing ideologies.

We need a leader who inspires and unifies. Someone who makes me proud to be Filipino again; someone who believes in me and my skills and my capacity to contribute to this country. Someone who has a long-term plan based on the strengths of our people rather than someone who judges and defines people based on their shortcomings. I would like someone inclusive and honest, as opposed to having a leader who belittles the true abilities of a person.

In the kitchen, there are a few schools of thought. Traditionally, it’s always been an aggressive and uncompromising environment. People want to eat and they need their food quickly and at top quality. Everyone eats so everyone knows what their idea of good food is. It’s a high-pressure environment but ultimately, the goal is to make people happy and enjoy the moments that they spend with us when they eat. Sometimes the aggression gets the best of the work environment and we tend to forget the real goal—to make people happy and have them leave full and satisfied.

Vulnerability and unpacking what was considered “weakness” were never part of our world, but personally I embrace it. Failure allows us to learn—accepting that makes me vulnerable, which is okay. Being vulnerable doesn’t mean you are weak. Vulnerability means you could be someone who admits defeat, admits mistakes and admits limitations, but chooses to endure by believing in the capacity of every person to contribute to society.

In the same way we can have bad service at the restaurant one day and make it better the next. Individual agendas play a part in decisions, but great people know their success is tied to the success of people around them.

I think the message now is: Please inspire us so we can fulfill our potential. Actions, not words. Genuine care, not well-trained, canned responses.

Our issues about governance only start with the leader, but true change and progress also rely on us. The world has taught us that everything is connected. Let’s be productive and stop looking at our leaders to make change. Let’s look at each other and take action for the world we want to live in. Let’s hold ourselves accountable and—maybe then—our leaders will have no choice but to follow.

Let your voice be heard. Register now! Go to irehistro.comelec.gov.ph.