* Election

It has been interesting to watch the election process here.  I understand that every third year they have the local elections and elections for senators and congressmen.  Every 6th year (this year), they also have the presidential election.  As of Monday, May 10, the Republic of the Philippines has a new president.

The first evidences we saw (several months ago) of the upcoming elections were the banners advertising the various candidates.

Believe it or not, it isn't legal to post banners in undesignated areas,

such as fences, walls, trees, etc!

As the election drew closer, we saw a lot of vehicles advertising candidates.  They rig the vehicle with loudspeakers which play the song of the particular candidate (helps people identify them), as well as banners, ballons, and whatever else.

I like this last one because it was in the vicinity of the Berean PRC's meeting place.  Notice the sign at the top of the picture.

The last month or so the campaign really heated up.  There were often rallies of people or vehicles on the roads - and the banner campaign really picked up too!

There have been teams out the last couple of days

cleaning up all the signs and banners!

This was the first election in which electronic voting machines were used.  Election results were therefore in much earlier - within a day, rather than in terms of weeks.

Out of a ballot of more than 100 candidates (almost 2 feet long!), Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III was elected. On June 30, Gloria Arroyo will officially step down and Noynoy Aquino will be sworn in as the new President of the Philippines.

Through all this we know and are comforted by the fact that Christ overrules all things, even elections.  He puts in power the man whom He will rule (Proverbs 21:1) with a view to the welfare of His church and the coming of His kingdom.