Day 85 of 135

Day 85: A Voter Ad for Gen Z

At an ad agency in Makati, Beth (A), who has written public-service ads since the nineties, and Sarah (B), a young copywriter, script a nonpartisan ad urging first-time voters to register before the deadline.

How to study this lesson 3 steps
  1. Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
  2. Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense.
  3. Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native Tagalog. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.

Dialogue

Audio for this lesson is coming soon. For now, read the dialogue and its translation.

Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day

  1. A

    O, Sarah, basahin mo na. Tandaan mo: walang partido, walang kulay, walang pangalan ng kandidato.

    Okay, Sarah, let's hear it. Remember: no parties, no colors, no candidates' names.

  2. B

    "Bestie, 'wag kang ma-late sa registration, kasi ang boto mo, it's giving power." May sparkle po sa dulo.

    "Bestie, don't be late for registration, 'cause your vote? It's giving power." And there's a sparkle at the end.

  3. A

    It's giving power. Sa susunod na eleksiyon, it's giving tita. Ang slang, parang gatas, may expiration date.

    "It's giving power." By the next election, it's giving tita. Slang is like milk: it has an expiration date.

  4. B

    Pero Ma'am, kapag "Mahalaga ang inyong boto" po ang nakasulat, mag-i-scroll lang sila. Dapat po relatable.

    But Ma'am, if it says "Your vote is important," they'll just scroll past. It has to be relatable.

  5. A

    Relatable, oo, pero kapag pilit, tunog-pulitikong nagpapabata. Nakita ko na 'yan: "lodi" sa tarpaulin, "petmalu" sa jingle.

    Relatable, yes, but when it's forced, it sounds like a politician trying to look young. I've seen it: "lodi" on a tarpaulin, "petmalu" in a jingle.

  6. B

    Cringe nga po 'yon. Pero kayo po ang sumulat ng "Astig ang Botante" noong '98, 'di po ba?

    That's cringe, all right. But you're the one who wrote "Voters Are Astig" back in '98, aren't you?

  7. A

    Kaya nga ako takot. Halos tatlumpung taon na, "Ma'am Astig" pa rin ako sa Christmas party.

    That's exactly why I'm scared. It's been almost thirty years, and I'm still "Ma'am Astig" at the Christmas party.

  8. B

    E 'di gawin po nating timeless. Isang slang lang po: "G ka na ba? Magparehistro ka bago ang deadline."

    Then let's make it timeless. Just one slang word: "You G? Register before the deadline."

  9. A

    Ang "G," ilang taon na, buhay pa rin, kaya pasado. Pero tanggalin natin ang "bestie," tunog-nambobola.

    "G" has been around for years and it's still alive, so it passes. But let's drop the "bestie," it sounds like sweet talk.

  10. B

    Sige po. Ang closing po: "Hindi namin sasabihin kung sino, basta bumoto ka." Neutral po, pero may dating.

    Okay. And for the closing: "We won't tell you who, just vote." Neutral, but it lands.

  11. A

    May dating nga. Ilagay mo ang deadline sa dulo, malaki. Iyan ang salitang hindi naluluma.

    It does land. Put the deadline at the end, in big letters. That's one word that never gets old.

  12. B

    Deadline po: it's giving... forever. Ay, sorry po, Ma'am, hindi ko napigilan.

    Deadline: it's giving... forever. Oops, sorry, Ma'am, I couldn't help it.

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