The mayoralty race in General Santos: A communicator’s lens

FROM a communicator’s point of view, here are my thoughts on the recent mayoralty race in General Santos City: Three individuals vied for the position: one an incumbent congress representative; one a punong Barangay and chairperson of the association of barangay captains; and one a media mogul. From all indications, the media mogul’s attention and that of his team was directed at the congress representative believing that she was the candidate to beat. This singular attention was not helpful to his campaign. His team forgot that he still had another competing candidate in the trio. Meanwhile, the congress representative had to defend herself all the time from the relentless attack coming from the media mogul’s quarters.

In the meantime, the punong other candidates had people doing Barangay, finding herself with the rounds to feel the pulse of the all the time to campaign and people. It is important that we are campaign some more sans attacks not fixated on our perception that and compulsion to defend herself, our candidate is solid; it is equally found so much elbow room to push important that we feel the pulse of her candidacy. May I also bring you the people. back to the reality that she was the Then there’s the subject of the first one to announce her bid for the allowances and the aids which to mayoralty post. It was in December me were done by every party. So, 2019, if I remember right, when her if every local political party did intent was made public. That gave that, the competition wouldn’t be her sufficient lead time to execute there. For after all, if you really her plans early. In contrast, the two want to use your objective lens, other candidates were indecisive one party obtained the greatest about running for the mayoralty number of seats in the Sangguniang post - until so much later. That for Panlungsod and yet their mayor and me is critical to the competition. congress representative lost. So, it’s

Then there’s also messaging. not in the allowances and the aids. I’m sure every team had its own I would say it’s personal. communications specialists to craft I would s ay t he winning their messages. However, in a tight candidate declared her intentions race, one should have considered early, maximized the opportunities the simplest, most direct, and easily brought about by the COVID- 19 understood message. It shouldn’t pandemic t o her advantage, be vague that people still need to and j ust doggedly pushed her discern it; it shouldn’t be negative agenda. I couldn’t even recall a that people resist it. And during campaign message that stuck the campaign, if the message or with me. Meanwhile, the media messages are proven wanting, they mogul declared his intentions should be revisited and changed later although his activities in drastically – if warranted. Indeed, the Barangays were implemented crafting messages is not easy. earlier, directed his attention

In my Barangay visits, I was mostly at one perceived formidable privileged to talk to people and candidate, and his messaging came leaders, and I already had an inkling off negative to many voters. On that the winning candidate was the perceived strongest candidate, favored by the masses. Based on my I believe her decision to run for talks with them, she was a strong mayor came quite late in the day. candidate. I wonder if the two Her messaging did not resonate with the voters because, if you ask me, you cannot move forward from an administration perceived to have a lackluster performance. It’s just too difficult to push that. It does not echo with the people.

I n t he end, even with t he weaknesses, t heir respective parties and machineries delivered. However, since it was a three-corner fight, the preparations should have focused on that complemented with the right messaging, a genuine survey of the public’s pulse, and if I may add, your personal charism.

Coming from a vantage point, my communicator’s l ens was sharpened because of the recent political exercise most especially that I participated in it. In these elections, my training is proven right: clear messaging is crucial in any campaign – positive messaging is still preferred; running should be personal – no one should piggyback on your performance – it turns people off; and objectively listening to people’s feedback whether subtle or direct during the campaign process – it allows for reassessment and a change of strategy.

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