The University of the Philippines (UP) joined an alliance for media coverage and an advocacy campaign for the 2022 Philippine national elections.
A signatory to the GMA 7-led initiative, UP President Danilo Concepcion represented UP in the launch of the Eleksyon 2022 alliance and the “Dapat Totoo” advocacy campaign, held virtually on November 26, 2021.
As in past partnerships for national elections coverages, UP is one of the top Philippine universities to make its research and expertise available for public educational purposes.
UP has initiated its own elections awareness project called “UP sa Halalan,” which was implemented by the Office of the Vice President for Public Affairs during the 2013 and 2016 elections. Since 2019, it has been administered by the Department of Political Science of the UP Diliman College of Social Sciences and Philosophy.
For 2022, UP sa Halalan once again relies on UP’s network of academics, researchers, and stakeholders from the UP community and provides it space and opportunities for public discussions. It makes use of a web portal, halalan.up.edu.ph, to publish “content related to elections and Philippine politics that will provide media groups, civil society groups, political parties, and the general public relevant information about elections, voting, political parties, and issues pertinent to the 2022 elections”.
GMA 7’s Eleksyon 2022, led by its chairman and CEO, Atty. Felipe Gozon brings together “51 partners representing the most respected names in the fields of telecommunications, media, education, business, law, and public service”. They pledge to keep a close watch on the electoral process.
Leading the roster of GMA 7’s external partners is Commission on Elections Chairman Sheriff Abas.
Meanwhile, UP Los Baños (UPLB) partnered with ABS-CBN and the “Bayan Mo, iPatrol Mo” voter education program of the media network to launch #UPLBsaHalalan2022 with a voters’ Conversation on the Role of Youth, Academe, and Media in the 2022 Elections. Other partners in the initiative are the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE Philippines), STAR MAGIC, Bantay Halalan Laguna 2022, Radyo DZLB Ang Tinig ng Kaunlaran, and LB Times.
Watch the livestream of the launch here and the #UPLBsaHalalan2022’s latest Voters’ Conversation on Political Participation and Implications on Academic Institutions here.
(This article was first published in the UP System Website on December 1, 2021)