Teachers: Vanguards of Democracy

Concepcion K. Pasion

The pervasive air of national elections is just around the corner. Politicians project their best for a lion share of the limelight. Supporters of various candidates engage themselves in heated discussions on various social media platforms. Come May 9, 2022, election time, registered voters, young and old, will troop to their polling precincts and finally get to exercise suffrage - cast their ballots and select the next set of leaders of the country.

This national event has been one of the hallmarks of democracy, colorful, almost-festive like, but at times perilous with some areas wracked by violence all in the name of politics and democratic process. But at the forefront of charting a new destiny of the country remains unchanged – the teachers. The noble task of educating the youth is set aside for at least a week and the teachers are recalled this time to perform another patriotic duty, as a poll worker. As watchers and members of the Board of Election Inspectors, the marching orders for them is to preserve the secrecy and sanctity of the ballots. And so come hell or high water, at the risk of personal safety and health our teachers will have to perform the poll duty on the appointed day.

The travails teachers have to undergo in every election are documented many times, shown on primetime news, and extolled in various media as heroic-like. But in the forthcoming general election the challenge has upped the ante. Whereas, before the threats were mostly visible the pandemic that befell the country as with the rest of the world created an invisible enemy that lurks to catch its unknowing prey. Yet, the teachers shall remain unfazed and undeterred and shall remain true to their sworn duty of serving the nation’s electoral process and preserving our democracy.

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The author is Senior High School Teacher at Lubao National High School