Strings attached: the clientelistic effect of KBL (kasal, binyag, libing) and other financial assistance programs of politicians to the voting behavior of the poor in a selected barangay in Metro Manila

Abstract

Free and fair elections are an integral part of a mature democracy, because this is one of the ways where the sovereign will of the people is expressed. It is where a venue for options and choices are given to voters. This research presents another problem to free and fair elections- the idea of politicians using discretionary soft projects to increase electoral support from the people, especially when the projects are directly attributable to the person of the politician. Soft projects in the form of financial assistance programs (free mass weddings and baptisms, medical, funeral and educational assistance) are hypothesized to create a feeling of indebtedness among the poor, which monopolize their decision-making process in voting. This paper used both quantitative and qualitative methods of research to prove the existence of this form of clientelism in a barangay in Metro Manila, Philippines. Qualitative in-depth interviews and survey questionnaire were employed to get both the breadth and the depth of data. Four important dependent variables were looked at- recipient satisfaction, positive perception of politicians, the phenomenon of utang na loob or debt of gratitude, and the actual electoral support. The research proved that voters who are subjected to such kinds of monetary or material grants from politicians are more likely to feel indebted to them, especially when they are poor and needy. Most of the time, these financial assistance programs will dominate the factors each voter uses in deciding who to vote. Utang na loob plays a huge role in the decision-making processes of voters, and this can be the cause of the implicit form of clientelism.