YES, September 21st!
A day that, for generations, has been a solemn reminder of… well, things that happened a long time ago.
Now, in a stroke of sheer, unadulterated civic genius, it’s also the designated date for the ‘Trillion Peso March.’
Because nothing says “we’re serious about systemic change” like a rally named after an amount of money so vast it’s physically impossible to count. Even the comprehension-challenged people (read: tahop) can’t do it without their noses bleeding profusely.
It’s a protest so large in scope, its organizers had to promise it isn’t a plot to destabilize the government. It’s a very reasonable, very normal thing to have to clarify before a public demonstration.
The cause? Corruption, specifically the kind that makes our floods more efficient than this administration.
In Cagayan de Oro, a city that knows a thing or two about rain and the subsequent chaos, I’m sure the preparations for this momentous event are well underway.
I can just picture the scene: an entire crowd, armed with signs and righteous indignation, all while carefully stepping over a pothole that has been there since the last administration.
The sheer dedication is jaw-dropping.
It’s a testament to our collective belief that if we just shout loud enough on a specific day of the year, the politicians will suddenly have a moral awakening.
As if a strongly worded manifesto and a few chants will somehow un-line their pockets.
The best part of this spectacle is, of course, the political commentary.
The president himself has thrown his support behind the protesters, saying he’d be out there with them if he wasn’t, you know, busy running the country.
Because that’s a normal and healthy thing for a military to announce before a protest.
So let’s all give a big, sarcastic cheer for the Trillion Peso March. It’s a beautiful, if slightly delusional, reminder that in the Philippines, the fight against corruption is as eternal as the traffic on EDSA.
And while the politicians might not lose their ill-gotten gains, at least we’ll have some fantastic photos for our social media feeds.
After all, what’s a little political grandstanding without a perfectly filtered selfie?
