My 2025 Election Day Experience: Barefaced, Ballot Shortage, at Manggang Pampagaan ng Loob

Election day nanaman! Pero this time, I promised myself na I would take it seriously. Hindi lang basta boto-boto. I really wanted to vote for someone na I believe will really make a difference. Kaya kahit medyo hirap bumangon lately at sanay akong gumising ng mga 11 or kahit minsan 12 pa nga, maaga na yun para sa'kin ha. 😂

And I did it with no makeup, no ligo, walang ka-arte-arte. I didn’t even care. Sabi ko nga sa sarili ko, “Who cares about my amoy today? Eh hindi naman ako didikitan ng tao sa init ng araw.” HAHAHA!

Free Ride, Kasi Syempre Election Day

It has been our custom dito sa amin na may pa-free ride ang barangay every election day papunta sa voting site. And bilang madiskarteng voter na ayaw ng mainit at mahal na pamasahe, nakisakay ako sa libreng sakay.

I arrived at the barangay school kung saan ako registered bumoto. And as expected, madaming tao, pero mas nakakagulat, mas madami pang tricycle na naka-park sa labas kesa sa actual na voters sa loob. Parang may parking convention ng tricycle drivers, pramis.

Pero gora lang ako, kasi sabi ni Mama, “Diretso ka sa stage area, hanapin mo na lang name mo don.” So syempre, dala ko ang payong at pamaypay kasi tanghaling tapat na and summer vibes is still real. Mainit besh, as in, malalagkit levels!

The Shocking Plot Twist: Wala Nang Balota?!

Ayun na nga, I found my assigned room eventually. Pero pagdating ko dun, biglang plot twist — UBOS NA ANG BALOTA.

Excuse me po, afternoon pa lang nun ha. Paano mauubusan agad ng balota?? Anong nangyari? How come mauubusan? For the first time? Lahat kami nakatunganga (of course, relax lang kami). Yung mga tao sa room parang sabay-sabay nag “Huh?” vibes.

So the staff led us to a different room. Doon daw kami makakaboto. So gora lang kami, kasi siyempre sayang naman ang pagpunta kung uuwi lang na walang boto.

But get this—after a while, ubos na din daw ang balota sa second room na pinaglipatan sa amin.

Nakakabother right? Like, how is this even allowed to happen? Parang gusto ko nang mag-rant ng “Comelec explain!” sa FB post pero I held back kasi ayokong ma-stress, mga patama lang yung posts ko. But deep inside I was really disappointed.

I mean, I know may mga pandaraya talaga sa elections, that’s a sad reality here in the Philippines. But this? This was a very subtle and quiet red flag. I still cast my vote, thank God, pero how many others were not able to? Sayang yung boto. Sayang yung effort. Sayang yung tiwala.

10-Minute Voting Experience

After that small conflict, I was finally able to vote. Medyo mabilis lang din yung process. Mga 10 minutes max. I was so focused on making sure na tama yung mga candidates na iboboto ko. Pinag-isipan ko yun, hindi ako padala sa hype. Hindi ako bumoto para lang sabihing bumoto ako. I voted for the right people — the people I believe might still bring hope to this country.

I walked out of that room a little frustrated but also fulfilled.

And Then... May Mangga!

Paglabas ko ng school, boom! May nagbebenta ng mangga sa labas. As in yung green, maasim, may asin at sili pa! Girl, that was the highlight of my day! HAHAHA!

That plastic cup of mango felt like a reward from the universe for getting through that not-so-good election process.

I was smiling while walking home, carrying my mangga like it’s a trophy. And while I was a few steps away from our house, bigla kong na-realize—“OMG, di pa pala ako kumakain today!”

And guess what I ate for my first meal of the day? You guessed it. Mangga. 😂

A Prayer for Our Nation

After I got home and finally settled down, I took a quiet moment to pray. I prayed for the people I voted for to win, not because I want to brag about voting for winners, but because I truly believe they can do something good for our community and our country.

And of course, I prayed for the Philippines.

We all know the state of our nation—rising prices, corruption, misinformation, and so many people losing faith in the system. It’s heavy. But what can I do as a simple citizen?

My vote and my prayer. That’s all I can offer right now.

I can’t control what happens next, but I believe that doing my part, however small, is still better than doing nothing at all.

Final Thoughts

This election experience was a mix of emotions for me:

• I was proud that I pushed myself to wake up and show up.

• I was annoyed at the shortage of ballots and the questionable system.

• I was comforted by a plastic cup of sour mangoes.

• And I was hopeful as I lifted everything in prayer.

That’s the beauty of being a Filipino—we still find joy in the small things, we still show up even when the system fails us, and we still hope.

And as always, I’m glad to share this little chapter of my life with all of you. Kasi baka ikaw din, naka-experience ng same problem. Baka ikaw din, napangiti ng simpleng mangga. Or maybe, you just needed to be reminded that your vote matters. Kasi it does.

See you again on the next kwento!

Love,
Dee Mayang