They say that the youth shapes our tomorrow, but the current generation of youth say, we shape today.
With no clear end in sight, the Philippines is still grappling with the pandemic crisis that has haunted the world for almost two years now.
The most vulnerable sectors—the elderly, the poor, and the marginalized—were forced to bear the brunt of its impact. The elderly were the most vulnerable to the disease, the poor were left in starvation, and the marginalized were forced to fend for themselves. Likewise, the youth were also not spared. Their best years were robbed from them.
As universities and schools were closed, the youth has lost its valuable arsenal found in education. Their spaces for growth and leadership were seemingly shrunk and almost restricted to the four corners of their room. Their participation in social events was gauged on how long they could endure hours of facing digital screens.
Moreover, together with the drawbacks caused by the pandemic comes the tyranny of the state towards the youth, attacking their civil liberties and acts of political engagement. Faced with this two-pronged attack, the youth faces a dangerous road ahead, their future is bleak.
Fortunately, a portion of the youth force will not wait for the storm to pass. Recent youth movements aimed at strengthening the youth’s participation and interest in political processes show that they are not only future leaders, but they are actors of today. With the forthcoming 2022 elections, the youth gears up with a mission in mind—to ensure that the voters will be rightly informed to make the right choice.
Voters' education is found to be crucial, most especially to the youth (first-time voters) as this sector comprises a considerable percentage of the overall voting population.
According to the data gathered by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), in the 2019 midterm elections, the youth sector (aged 18-29 years old) comprised around 31% of the total voting population.
Moreover, for the 2022 elections, the Philippine Statistics Authority and COMELEC see 40 million Filipinos aging 18-35 years old be eligible to vote. This substantial percentage and number show the youth's overwhelming potential to determine the dynamics of political leadership and participation.
Hence, as early as now, several youth-led initiatives advocating for voters' education are entering the frame. One of which is the Tatak Botante campaign led by the National Alliance of Youth Leaders (NAYL) which focuses on providing assistance on voters' registration and education, and empowering voters nationwide.
The campaign was launched on April 9, 2021, and since then focuses its efforts on helping endeavors of overcoming barriers in voter registration. NAYL partnered up with Boto Pilipino, which is also a youth-led initiative on voter's education, released an infographic on May 14 showing how almost 40% of students in University of the Philippines Diliman are still unregistered for the coming elections.
RJ Suarez, the acting National President of NAYL, believes that “Voters education campaigns enlighten and empower Filipino voters by reminding them the importance and power of their vote and participation in the democratic process, and by encouraging them to be smart, critical and independent in choosing our country’s next leaders.”
Moreover, other youth-led initiatives in the Philippines for voters' education such as We The Future PH, iMPACT Leadership, and Boto ng Kabataan by the Council of Young Leaders of the Philippines; advocates for the mobilization of the youth in ensuring comprehensive and readily available information on voters' registration as well as making informed choices for the coming elections.
The nation might be afflicted and constricted by bearing the burden of the global pandemic, but the vigor of the youth is far from being depleted. Their actions consistently show that they will move forward regardless of the tumultuous times. The youth, for sure, will not only act for tomorrow but for today.
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