[OPINION] In this swing state for US elections, I find snippets of PH politics

How does it feel for a Filipino to be in one of the most important states in the 2024 United States (US) presidential elections?

I am a Filipino citizen, but I currently live in Pennsylvania for my graduate studies. Pennsylvania is called a battleground state or a swing state in the US presidential election because the majority of the voters in the state sometimes choose a Democrat, sometimes they choose a Republican to lead the country.

Since I am not a US citizen, I am not allowed to vote this November when Americans will cast their ballots to vote for a new president. But I have been attending campaign rallies here in Pittsburgh.

On the afternoon of September 22, I attended the Students for Harris-Walz Pittsburgh rally. Outside the venue, a volunteer asked me if I was already registered to vote and I told her that I am not eligible. I shared with her, however, that I am actively campaigning because the outcome of the election will also affect me as an international student. I will feel at ease studying and living here knowing that the president is not promoting a climate of fear against foreigners and immigrants.

At the rally, two congresswomen, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, spoke to a crowd of students mainly from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. They reminded everyone in the auditorium that Gen Zs and millennials constitute the largest voting block in this year’s election. So these groups of people have the power to shape the future. We can leave a better world for the generations that come after us by electing the right servant-leaders.

I enjoyed being in the campaign event because I was with people who share the same values that I have. It was also a bonus that I saw in the crowd a Filipino-American friend I met at my university. The joy that I felt reminded me of all the Leni rallies I went to in 2022.

One of the student leaders who spoke at the event said the following about choosing between the two presidential candidates in November: “It should not be a hard decision!” This statement reminded me of the 2022 Philippine presidential election when I had the same exact thought.

Parallels

I realized that there are a lot of similarities between the US and the recent Philippine presidential elections when it comes to the personalities involved, their plans for the country, the people who run their campaigns, and the composition of the electorate.

A woman and a man are the main contenders. In 2022, as much as we had a lot of presidential candidates, it was mainly between Leni Robredo and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Philippines. In the US this 2024, it is between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

One has a clear policy, the other does not have one. Robredo had concrete plans on how she would address the problems of the Filipino people while Marcos, Jr. did not have anything substantial to say except “unity.” Harris is clear about her policies for the American people while Trump only had “a concept of a plan.”

Robredo’s campaign was supported by a lot of small donors while Marcos, Jr. was mainly financed by millionaires. Harris’ campaign outperforms Trump in fundraising from small donations.

In 2022, a majority of the Philippine electorate was composed of millennials and Gen Zs. And as mentioned by Congresswomen Ocasio-Cortez and Lee during the Pittsburgh rally, the two generations have the biggest voice in the US election this year.

Aside from the fact that it should have been a no-brainer choosing between the candidates, the US and Philippine presidential elections have a lot more parallelisms in terms of the candidates’ plans and their supporters, and the voter demographics.

Promoting value of voting

I live in Pittsburgh, a city that reliably votes for Democrats. Anywhere I go in the neighborhood, I see lots of yard signs campaigning for Democratic candidates. I have only ever seen two or three campaign signs for Republicans here. I also see a lot of student volunteers at my university who encourage everyone to register to vote this November.

I believe the Democrats have learned their lesson from 2016 when a lot chose to sit out the elections because they thought Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate back then, would surely win against Trump. Nowadays, even if a lot of surveys are in favor of Harris, no one is being complacent. Americans now appreciate the value of voting no matter what the odds are.

That attitude is also what I have been advocating in the Philippines. I always encourage my friends to vote in barangay elections and midterm elections. A lot of Filipinos vote only during presidential elections because they think it is the only one which can make a difference for the Philippines. On the contrary, it is even more important to choose leaders wisely at the local level.

One of the first things I did when I got to the US was travel to the Philippine Consulate in New York to register as a Filipino overseas voter. Since I will be here in the US for 5 years, I wanted to make sure I will be able to vote in the 2025 midterm and 2028 presidential elections.

My message to everyone is that no matter where you are, you should always stand up for what you believe in. Always exercise your right to vote. You can always make a difference. – Rappler.com

Patrick Vincent Lubenia is a PhD student of industrial engineering at the University of Pittsburgh and an active member of Rappler Plus. Aside from politics, his passion includes mathematical biology, finance, and musical theater.