DAYS before the Eleksyon 2020 Koalisyon successfully launched “Love Kita Pinas,” a virtual event celebrating local voters’ registration initiatives, educators across the country have rallied students to register and exercise responsible voting in the upcoming 2022 national elections.

Rivals Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University (DLSU) have joined the said coalition to register 7 million Filipinos before September 30, 2021. The two universities were also crucial in organizing Love Kita Pinas, which brought together various celebrities and influencers to encourage mass voter registration.

The value of youth participation in an election does not go unnoticed by schools and educators. In a memo released to its partner schools, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), National Capital Region chapter explained that involvement in an election is crucial in protecting democracy and fulfilling God’s will.

“The ballot is a symbol of the foundation of a democratic government where the people have the right to choose their leaders… The ballot is sacred because it guarantees that Catholics, who are conscious of their accountability to God, vote to safeguard God’s will on who is best to lead the country.”

Schools and universities play a massive role in shaping an individual’s worldviews and inspiring a student to participate in an election responsibly. However, DLSU Associate professor Dolores Taylan, PhD said that such an undertaking can only be accomplished if educators practise responsible voting themselves.
“Ito ang unang gampanin ng sektor ng edukasyon sa mga kabataan para sila mahikayat bomoto, ang ipakitang ang kanilang mga guro, at ang lahat ng bumubuo sa kanilang paaralan ay bomoboto rin. Sa loob ng silad-aralan, dapat marinig ng mga mag-aaral sa kanilang mga guro ang pahayag na, ‘Ako bilang inyong guro ay bomoboto sa tamang kandidato at ngayong darating na eleksyon sa 2022, katulad ko, bomoto rin kayo, at huwag lamang basta bomoto kundi pumili ng tamang kandidato,’” said the professor.

Aside from educators leading by example, Taylan also says that allotting time during classes to discuss the sanctity of the ballot can also help ensure an informed youth vote. On the other hand, the CEAP called on Catholic school personnel and senior high school students to exercise their “God-given” right to vote and select officials who are fit to lead the Catholic community.

For CEAP, societal change can only be achieved if duties to God and our country are fulfilled. In a similar manner, Taylan mentions that it is vital to inform the youth of their powerful role in enacting positive changes for the country.

The professor adds, “Hindi mangyayari ang mga nais nila para sa bayan kung hindi sila hahakbang. Ang unang hakbang ay ang pagboto at ang paghikayat sa mga kapuwa nila kabataan na bomoto rin.”