[Be The Good] Let’s not rely on Leni Robredo

She has spoken. The ship has sailed. Those hoping Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo would run for a national post in 2028 got a reality check on Monday, November 9. This whole fixation on Mayor Robredo though also got me thinking of a related issue: the shallow bench for alternative candidates.

When we look to one person, we miss the opportunity to cultivate a wider selection of politicians. Perhaps this decision of Robredo’s is a chance to widen our horizons and look to new faces. More importantly, it should allow us to examine ourselves. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, should we not become the change we want to see?

I just came from a week in Cape Town, South Africa with Rappler’s scholars to the One Young World 2026 Summit. JJ Agustin, Gybel Agregado, Kit Posadas, John Mauro Manuel, and Jasser Mohammad are examples of young people who are becoming the change they want to see. They live it every day, in their work in youth political participation, agriculture, women empowerment, and data-driven storytelling. At the summit, which gathered 2,000 young people from over 190 countries, we listened to fellow youth leaders tell stories of the hardships they overcame, the challenges they continue to face, and the hope they keep alive for their communities and countries.