Find out How YOUth Lead the Change!
In every round of national elections, the Filipino people hope that it will give our country a good shift towards progress and development. Are you ready to become part of history?
Voting is our birthright. What makes it even more valuable is that our ancestors fought for it so we can freely make our own choices for this country. You, a young citizen, have been entrusted with this responsibility. Use it and do so wisely because the development of the country lies in your vote. So, make it count!
Your teachers and mentors at school reinforced in you the importance of responsibility, and now is the time to practice it. As you go through the process, every step you make takes you closer to fulfilling your duty as a responsible voter. For each stage lies an act of nationalism to be fulfilled as a model of Filipino youth.
Step 1 : To Prepare is to know
A voter’s registration is your admission form to become qualified to vote on election day, so make sure you have one. Similar to how you explore your school for the classes on your registration form, knowing your precinct number will help make the voting process go smoothly and perhaps you can guide others to know theirs too. As a registered voter, you are required to vote at least once in two consecutive elections or else you’ll lose the validity of your registration.
You can visit the official website of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to confirm your registration record under “Voter’s Registration.” Just provide your full name and date of birth, and the system will verify it for you.
Step 2 : Be more vigilant
In this digital age, there are many ways to keep yourself updated about the electoral candidates. As you research, read, and study when a big exam is coming up, you should go in-depth about the candidates’ backgrounds, accomplishments, platforms, and how they handle issues thrown at them. Don’t be immediately taken in by the images they project on their campaigns. Instead, rely on the knowledge that you have about them and let yourself be the judge on who the next leaders of this country should be. When you resist someone else’s influence on which candidate you should vote for, you protect your right to choose the leader you truly believe in and you fight for your right to elect freely.
Knowing who to vote for is now made easier through the COMELEC Halalan 2016 app which provides complete profiles of candidates for the 2016 elections. You can download it from the App Store for Apple users and Google Play for Android users.
Step 3 : Report for duty
Election day will be a busy day. It is very easy to be discouraged from going. But when you go and you see your fellow Filipinos willing to sacrifice their comfort to vote, you are reminded that you are there to do your role as an agent of change. Like a responsible student who attends classes diligently and on time, go early to your assigned precinct. As you immerse yourself in this event, you begin to grasp that you, like all the other voters, have decided to become part of this nation’s history in determining who our next leaders should be.
Step 4 : Make your choice and make It final
This is it! The preparation you went through has come down to this! As you shade your choices, you are taking the big step to make the brighter future finally possible. Like how you should cover your answers in any major exam, protect your ballot by using the provided folder. Value your answers as much as you value your privacy.
Step 5 : Seal the deal!
While an exam has the “finished or not finished, pass your paper” policy, there is no taking back of answers you made on your ballot. After shading, you are sealing your decision on your vote. No matter who you voted for, keep in mind that you voted for them because you believed in them. You put the fate of the country in their hands and that decision is your contribution to your country.
Step 6 : Voter 's blot
The last step you have to take before leaving is having an indelible ink dropped on your forefinger. It is a procedure to mark that you have finished voting so you will not vote again in other areas or go “fly voting.” Fly voting is considered cheating and it 's illegal simply because honesty should be taken seriously during the elections. Cheating during this event is as good as depriving other Filipinos of a fair election, and that is why cheating is a grave offense even at your school. Be responsible and be honest. Once you have done your part, give others the chance to do theirs. Honesty will take this country, and you in it, for a long mile.
In every round of national elections, the Filipino people hope that it will give our country a good shift towards progress and development. Are you ready to become part of history?
