Article by:
Mary Judaline Partlow
DUMAGUETE CITY – The Commission on Elections in the Negros Island Region has launched a new voter education initiative in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental, aimed at strengthening civic participation among young people ahead of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on Nov. 2.
Lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, Comelec-NIR regional election director, said Thursday that a memorandum of agreement for the Project Values-driven, Organized, Technologically Empowered Youth was signed Wednesday by the Comelec, the Tanjay City local government, the Department of Education, and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).
Tanjay City election officer Lawyer Felicisimo Catacutan Jr. initiated the project.
Castillano said the program seeks to strengthen voter education in schools and support the nationwide voter education campaign of the Comelec.
"The initiative supports the thrust of Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia to enhance voter education among young Filipinos nationwide," he said.
He said the initiative also ensures the continuity of the poll body's voter education efforts despite budget cuts that have affected the agency's information campaign.
"On our own, we are also trying to reach out to the young people so that they would know the importance of their vote," he added.
Initially being piloted in Tanjay City, the VOTE Youth program is expected to be expanded to other local government units across the Negros Island Region to institutionalize voter education through partnerships with LGUs, DepEd, and the PPCRV.
"The Comelec has to find innovative ways to sustain voter education despite budget constraints," Castillano said, noting that collaboration with partner institutions is key to reaching more young voters.
He said the program encourages the youth to participate in the electoral process by voting, rejecting vote-buying, engaging in community affairs, and even seeking elective posts in the BSKE.
Castillano stressed that the campaign is nonpartisan and is intended to educate young people about their responsibilities as voters and their role in nation-building, and not to influence their choice of candidates.
The BSKE is scheduled for Nov. 2, 2026, with voter registration for the elections set to run until Sept. 30. The Sangguniang Kabataan elections will cover 41,880 barangays nationwide, with over 15 million registered youth voters expected to participate.
Under Republic Act No. 10742, or the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act of 2015, SK officials are elected to three-year terms and are mandated to lead youth development programs and initiatives at the barangay level.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia earlier emphasized that voter education is a priority of the Commission, noting that informed voters are essential to ensuring clean, honest, and orderly elections. The poll body has been exploring partnerships with various sectors to strengthen its education and information campaigns, particularly among first-time and young voters. (PNA)
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