Representing Nicanor Perlas

"What am I doing here?!?"

Here was at the Coliseum of the St. La Salle University of Bacolod filled with over a thousand college graduating students, faculty and administrators of the university and about a hundred more guests. It was packed, warm and the students had already been sitting there for an hour or more going through the final requirements and drills of graduating.

And now they were about to sit through another hour and a half on the upcoming May 2010 Elections, starting with an orientation on the use of the new electronic voting machines and following it up with a forum wherein a representative of each presidential candidate was to speak about their candidate and their candidate's platform for 10 minutes (or the mic would apparently be turned off) and then finally there would be a Q&A session between the audience and the reps.

That's what I was doing here. I was here to represent my candidate for president of the Philippines, Mr. Nicanor Jesus Pineda Perlas III. Given that I myself had only met Nick and started to read about his work a mere 4 1/2 months before getting on that stage; and given that I'd only gotten the part a day before the forum because the person who was to do it couldn't make it; and given that the others who shared the enormous stage with me were campaign managers or the wife of their candidate or had been on the campaign trail with them for many years, one would expect - as I did - that I'd be shaking like a leaf. But, I wasn't. Instead, as I said to Nick himself in a text after the forum, I was calm, centered...and on fire.

Well, yes, I had spent the whole night up reading both Nick's and others' writings, news clippings, and blogs; and watching a few (quite powerful) interviews of Nick. And, yes, I had spent the 7-hour bus-ferry-bus ride slicing through 10 pages of material to have it be as close to the strict 10-minute rule. And, yes, when I practised reading my talk over lunch to my two fast friends Eleanor and Mario, I was still over by about 20 minutes. And, yes, when I looked out over the vast sea of faces, I could easily see the huge splashes of yellow in front, and red and dark green to the sides, each one out in force for their candidate. And, yes, while seated among the reps, I got to listen to stories about the parties they'd been to and why the other wasn't there, giving me the distinct sense that they have been moving in the same circles over many years.

So, given all of that, why did I just not want to sink right through the floor, suffer from amnesia and never be seen again? I'll tell you why:

1. I had something to say and that something was the truth. When that happens, don't you just want to jump out and shout it out to the world? Nick, his platform and his track record are so clear, so genuine, so uniquely and refreshingly grounded in truth and integrity, that speaking of him is not only the easiest, but the most joyful thing to do.

2. Nick, the man, his genius, his heart and his platform are a huge gift to society. And so, speaking of these to the audience felt like I was handing over to them the best gift of their lives -- a real and viable and stellar option for the next president of the Philippines of their own choosing! This is why my opener was "Do you know how lucky you are?!?" As the Manila Bulletin article, The Race of His Lifetime, of March 23, 2010 said: "If slowly but surely wins the race, then Nicanor 'Nick' Jesus Pineda Perlas III may just end up being the leader that the country never even knew it had." I just felt thrilled and honored to be able to hand this gift to them.

3. Friends like Eleanor and Mario (how precious to see their glowing faces clearly in the crowd) who believe in you and remind you at each step that, no matter what, speak from your heart. And so, through each extremely complex and unrehearsed question tossed, though I had no idea in my head what I was to say even as it was my turn to grab the mic and head out to the audience, what came out of my mouth was honest, truthful and came from my heart which is, like yours, connected to our collective heart that is the source of the greater wisdom. The reminder is critical -- that we only have to empty ourselves of ego and of a full, overly active, smart mind, to let the deeper wisdom through. (Hey, don't get me wrong, studying the audience and their hot topics/issues beforehand would have helped tremendously! So, study, too!)

4. When you know without a shadow of a doubt that you are exactly where you need to be, when it feels like the universe has colluded to get you there, and when you get that you've been preparing for moments like these (even or especially when your mind is still trying to make sense of it...and is failing miserably), then - and only then - do you enter a zone. To me, a zone is when you are simultaneously aware and connected to everything while also in laser-like quality aware of yourself (without ego) as a unique channel of the greater wisdom that is wanting to be revealed. Make sense to you? It shouldn't perhaps at the level of mind, but it's real nevertheless. Nick has been tapping and spreading that wisdom in his words and deeds all his life. Now, is calling upon each of us to do the same.

At the end of the Q&A, here were the words I remember hearing that attest to what I say above had a positive impact on those around us:
1. The rep beside me, whose candidate shall remain nameless, said he had been reading Nick's writings and has followed his campaign closely and is so impressed. And that I was very "cool" and "the coolest speaker of the 10-min speech" (which I decided to do semi-extemporaneously)

2. Mayor Kate Gordon who was there to represent hubby and the Vice Chancellor of La Salle each came up to me and together said how much they have always admired Nick, his works, the person he is and his convictions and they are so glad he is fighting the fight. And how impressed they always are with what comes out of his campaign.

3. One man appeared from the crowd eager to volunteer to campaign for Nick in Bacolod and has been true to his word since.

A final interesting note. Someone who wasn't there asked me if the audience clapped louder for me than for the other reps. I'm not sure. Maybe not. I wasn't connecting in with the audience in that manner. Perhaps, just like surveys, clapping and cheering is all fanfare and fun and games. What matters the most is how much in each moment we get to touch our hearts and speak from there in a way that touches and speaks to their hearts, too. Hand over Heart, and Heart-to-Heart.

Thank you Nick and dear friends for your support throughout that time and for the opportunity to speak from the heart of our campaign! Such an honor to be in this journey with you.