SHOW business and politics seem to have this fatal attraction toward each other.
Politicians have become commercial models, product endorsers, and TV show hosts—activities which only used to belong to denizens of show biz. In fact, the trend today is the production of paid advertisements to boost the campaigns of politicians running for office. Others, meanwhile, take advantage of potential product endorsements to gain publicity in the form of a “disguised” advertisement.
Perhaps an even more pronounced trend is the rampant career shifts of entertainers to public service. Show biz personalities now vie for public office, exploiting their celebrity status and popularity, generally claiming that inexperience is not an obstacle to public service. Any one can be competitive in politics, even those who are trying it out for the first time.
Proof of this career change of sorts is the hefty number of show biz personalities running for government positions.
We had anticipated Fernando Poe, Jr.’s presidential bid. We also were not surprised when other celebrities followed suit.
What surprised me most, however, was Pilar Pilapil running for senator and justifying her candidacy by saying something like, “Why not? If I can be a best actress, I can be a best senator.”
What fighting spirit!
Still, show biz and politics are two diverse worlds. No amount of superb acting could compensate for the lack of experience and the proper educational credentials that are the minimum requirements for qualifying for public office.
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I was privileged to have been one of the retreat facilitators of the seniors of the Faculty of Civil Law last March 10 to 12.
Aside from guiding the seniors through the retreat, I also felt like one of the retreatants as I listened to Fr. Enrico Gonzales, O.P.’s talk on “Facing the Future as Professional Lawyers”.
Fr. Enrico enlightened everyone about facing the future by using the mighty weapon, that is, today. He gave emphasis on the importance of the present time and how it prepares us for the life encounters in the real world.
Take the case of the Civil Law students. Lawyer-wannabes would always fear their disposition once they move outside of the academe and would always look to the bar examinations with dread and utmost pessimism.
But the real key to facing the future with confidence is by looking back on how well you have prepared yourself during your four-year stay in law school. It would always boil down on how you valued each day of your life and how you focused on diligently studying as a law student.
I remember Arlene Maneja telling me that when she was taking the bar examinations in September 2002, she realized that her answers to the questions were not something she got from her almost six-month bar review. She couldn’t remember where she got the answers, but she was sure she got them from her readings from the past during her diligent and focused daily studies in law school.
We should treasure today and make it a tool for improving tomorrow. What will matter in the future may be determined by have done in your everyday life and how well you have prepared for the uncertain world outside.
