On May 9, the Philippines will hold its 17th presidential and 16th vice presidential elections. These elections will decide the country’s future, and the voters have an enormous responsibility to choose a better life for all Filipinos. And to do this, voter education is the key.
The University of the Philippines (UP) Office of the Student Regent, in partnership with the UP Office of Student Development Services (OSDS), the UP Media and Public Relations Office (MPRO), and the UP National Service Training Program (NSTP), has launched “Hirang ng Bayan,” a comprehensive voters education program consisting of UP’s various initiatives to help educate its community and the general public in line with the upcoming 2022 elections.
The “Hirang ng Bayan” program features three main activities:
“Mark It UP” is a UP Systemwide electoral survey that will serve as mock elections and survey the real issues that will determine the electorate’s choices. “Mark It UP” will simulate the electoral experience among UP constituents and prime its participants to prioritize the national problems, platforms, and policies in choosing their slate of candidates for the May elections. This survey will run from April 11 to 16, 2022.
“Paaralang Panghalalan” is a five-part online series of capacity-building educational discussions for the upcoming elections. It aims to encourage greater political participation by educating and capacitating UP students to engage in the electoral processes beyond simply casting their ballots. The five forums, to be conducted via Zoom and Facebook Live, will be held from April 1 to May 13. Each panel will discuss ways to engage the participants’ different social circles, from intimate to larger spheres, increasing the scope after each forum. To participate, please register here: bit.ly/PaaralangPanghalalan
“Lakas Botante 2022” is a series of short videos featuring UP faculty members sharing their views on crucial election concerns. The video series aims to provide students, especially newly registered voters, with practical information they can use to initiate meaningful discussions with their peers. The videos will be available for sharing through social media from April 1 to May 6, 2022.
UP students interested in “Hirang ng Bayan” activities can contact the Office of Student Affairs on campus or email [email protected] or [email protected].
(This article was first published in the UP System Website on April 1, 2022)