The Voice of the Youth - Oratorical Piece About Voting and Nation Building (Philippines)

I am young, not useless.

I am a minor, not a fool.

You may say my hands have not yet built a house, my feet have not yet walked the halls of power. True. My experience in this world cannot compare to yours. But do not mistake my youth for blindness. I see. I hear. I understand. And I know how to make a decision.

Like you, I have rights. Like you, I have privileges. But here is the difference: Your privilege allows you to vote.

I say privilege, not right. Because voting is not simply given - it is earned, it is registered, it is fulfilled. Requirements I, as a youth, cannot yet accomplish.

And so, what happens to me?

I am pushed to the sidelines. My mouth is covered. My voice is among those not heard. I am forced to stand in silence, and wait.

I wait for the outcome of an election where, let us be honest, some votes are bought for five hundred pesos and a pack of noodles.

An election where some vote for a name they know, even if that name has a record stained with corruption.

An election where some believe what they hear on TikTok, not what they see with their own eyes.

I am NOT among these voters. Yet I will bear the consequences. We all will. Because this election will give birth to a leader - one man, one woman, whose single signature today will drastically change my tomorrow.

Now I ask you: Do I wish to be ruled by a man who washes his hands in blood to get what he wants? No.

Do I wish to be ruled by a man who thinks he is above the law? No.

Nobody wishes for this! Yet we still put them in power! And for that very reason, I refuse to stay silent. I am stepping out. I am speaking up!

You might say, "We are out of control." But we are not! There is something we can do. And that something lies in a choice. A choice that lies in this election.

What then should we do? We, the youth, the hope of this country?

In Exodus 18:21, Jethro told Moses: "Choose capable men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate dishonest gain."

That is our standard! We cannot and must not settle for less!

We deserve a leader as passionate for freedom as Jose Rizal, who wrote with his pen while others fought with swords.

We need a leader as moral as Pope John Paul II, who knelt for the youth.

We need a leader as dedicated to equality as Martin Luther King, who dreamed of a nation where character matters more than color.

Now, do not tell me, "There is nobody to vote for!"

If you cannot find a perfect leader, do not abandon your duty. Voting is a privilege, yes, but more than that - it is a RESPONSIBILITY. And a responsibility must be taken seriously.

Romans 13:1 reminds us: "There is no authority except that which God has established." God established government. Therefore, to participate in an election is not just a political act - it is a sacred duty. We must do it with our whole heart, our whole mind, and our whole body, just as we serve in church.

And Proverbs 28:12 warns us: "When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding."

My friends, do we want to hide? Do we want to cower in fear in our own country? Do we want to leave the Philippines and work abroad because we have lost hope?

No! We don't have to hide! But we must act!

So what can the youth do, you ask, if we cannot yet vote?

We can do THREE things.

First, WE CAN EDUCATE. We are the generation of Google, of AI, of fact-checking. Let us be the breaker of fake news in our family group chats. Let us teach our parents, our lolos and lolas, to scrutinize, not just sympathize.

Second, WE CAN PARTICIPATE. We can volunteer. We can join youth organizations like the Sangguniang Kabataan. We can clean our barangays, plant trees, tutor children. Nation-building does not start in Malacañang; it starts in our own street.

Third, WE CAN LEAD BY EXAMPLE. Let us show that we are not "tamad", not entitled, not always on our phones. Let us show integrity when no one is watching - in our classrooms when we refuse to cheat, in our homes when we tell the truth.

The change we beg from politicians must first begin with us.

So, the next time you vote - before you shade that little circle, before you fold that piece of paper and drop it in the ballot box - think of me.

Think of us.

Remember this: You are not the only one affected by your decision.

I am the product of your choices.

I am the hope you keep talking about.

I am the future of this nation.

My fate is in your hands, but the future - the future is in OURS.

This is my voice.

This is OUR voice.

This is the voice of the Filipino youth!