“It's on the youth to use the responsibility to research and create new ways to spread the right information”
The official voter registration information campaign of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Vote Pilipinas, held the second of its three-part virtual town hall series last July 30, 2021. The non-profit, non-partisan initiative aims to provide accessible, verifiable information to ensure that Filipinos are updated with the upcoming 2022 elections.
For the second Magparehistro Ka Town Hall, which went live over various online platforms, COMELEC officials and youth representatives appealed to those living in the Visayas region and to the youth to register for the 2022 national and local elections by September 30.
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Keynote speaker Atty. Aimee P. Ferolino, Commissioner at the Commission on Elections, who devotes her work towards free, honest and credible conduct of elections, spoke in her local dialect to remind those in the Visayas that registration is a precursor to voting. According to COMELEC Director Frances Aguindadao-Arabe, who was also present at the event, COMELEC recorded a total of 893,448 voter registrants from Regions VI, VII and VIII from September 2020 until July 24, 2021.
For those who live in the Visayan regions and have not yet registered, you may do so at the following Robinsons Malls: Robinsons Place Ormoc, Robinsons Place Cebu, Robinsons Cybergate Cebu, Robinsons Place Dumaguete, Robinsons Place Bacolod, Robinsons Place Tacloban, Robinsons Place North Tacloban, Robinsons Place Roxas and Robinsons Place Antique.
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Youth speakers were also at the town hall, appealing to the youth to make their voices heard. Hannah Felix, co-founder of youth-driven, non-profit organization Abot PH, speaks about the role of the youth this 2022. She notes, “In this world of technological advancement, it’s the youth that decides what topics go into the spotlight… The youth these days are conscious, intentional and very, as you said, innovative. So we find new ways to spread information farther… The youth is so digitally articulate in this sense, na parang, we’re all the more advertising the democratic process kasi freedom of speech hasn’t been [freer] as it is today. It’s on the youth to use the responsibility to research and create new ways to spread the right information.”
Every vote counts, and the youth is essential to bringing much-needed change to the country. If you're not yet a registered voter, you can take the Voter Registration Service Test on votepilipinas.com. See the full list of requirements here.
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Header Art Chinny Basinang
Art Alexandra Lara
