THE Philippines is once again at a political crossroads. Every election promises a "new dawn," yet the cycle repeats. Younger leaders are stepping in -- many carrying surnames that have ruled politics for decades. They talk the talk on some key issues: climate justice, inclusivity, digital governance, mental health. They're articulate, hashtag-ready and fluent in the language of progress. For a generation desperate for change, it's inspiring.
But here's the test: when youthful wokeness meets inherited power, will they deliver reforms -- or just repackage old politics with fresher faces?
Privilege as the starting line
The numbers are sobering. Nearly 87 percent of governors, 70 percent of lawmakers and more than half of mayors come from political dynasties. Among legislators ages 26 to 40, three out of four are heirs of political clans.
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Politics, in many cases, isn't earned. It's inherited. Ballots look more like family trees than democratic choices. Yet privilege is not automatically the problem. The question is how young leaders use it: to protect themselves -- or to serve something larger than themselves.
Wokeness or wokeism?
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The distinction matters. Wokeness means recognizing injustice and acting on it. It's empathy paired with courage. Wokeism is performance -- hashtags without policy, slogans without substance, activism that thrives online but collapses in governance.
Real leadership isn't branding. It's the grind: listening to stakeholders, assessing proposals, dissecting budgets, drafting workable laws and sustaining efficient implementation. All of these are done while keeping the process transparent and maintaining accountability when public feedback becomes imperative and demands assurances for success and value for money.
Some young leaders have shown it's possible. Cities have digitized services to cut red tape. Climate-vulnerable provinces are investing in mangroves, flood control and renewable energy that save lives and create jobs. Schools are introducing mental health programs and expanding scholarships. These reforms may not go viral on social media platforms -- but they change lives. And they show that privilege, redirected with purpose, can be a force for inclusion.
Entitlement as the trap
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The temptation to fall back on entitlement is real. Too often, public office is treated as inheritance -- passed among siblings, spouses or children. This undermines democracy and fuels cynicism. For young leaders, breaking this cycle is step one. Repeating old dynastic patterns under a youthful brand will only deepen disillusionment.
The stakes couldn't be higher. The Philippines has a median age of just 25. Voters are digital, vocal and impatient. They fact-check instantly, call out hypocrisy and can sustain an online trend -- whether to amplify or to cancel. For young politicians, this is both a risk and opportunity. Fail, and you're dismissed as just another dynasty in sneakers. Succeed, and you can reset the standard for leadership.
The relay of nation-building
Politics is a relay, not a sprint. Each generation holds the baton before passing it on. Today's leaders carry it in turbulent times: climate crisis, digital disruption, widening inequality. The task isn't just to run the same race faster. It's to change how the race is run -- with accountability, humility and imagination. Done right, dynastic politics could shift from preserving power to serving people.
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The "woke and entitled" story doesn't have to end in contradiction. It can be reframed as one of renewal. Wokeness, when sincere, sparks empathy and courage. Privilege, when redirected, builds stronger, fairer systems.
The choice is clear: cling to entitlement -- or transform privilege into purpose.
The nation is watching. What this generation decides will determine whether politics remains a family business -- or evolves into a genuine public trust.
History won't remember the surname. It will remember the service.
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To young politicians: inherit power as entitlement, or wield it as responsibility. Choose the latter, and you won't just honor voters' trust -- you'll help lift a nation.
Arlene P. Donaire, HKS MC/MPA '99, once had an opportunity in her youth to pursue a political career. But in her hometown -- where one surname has dominated local government since the late 1960s -- lacking the "right" pedigree meant certain defeat, regardless of intentions or credentials. She chose a different route to public service, building a career as a development planner and program manager. Now, as she approaches her senior years, she sometimes reflects on the "what ifs" of that road not taken. Yet she finds assurance in her choice: to contribute to nation-building not through politics, but through her lifelong work in development.