By Atty. Howie Calleja
As the registration for the 2022 general election commences, the ineffective response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the inability of the administration to prioritize the livelihood of our Kabaybayans are at the front of our minds. We will remember these failures at the polls. This coming election will be defined by the selection of a leader who will lead us in our recovery and, hopefully, into a new era of progress.
Of all the eligible voters that will create change with their vote, now is the time to highlight the role of the youth. Recall the last Presidential election: 18.3 million registered voters were between the ages of 18-29 or 33% of the total number of qualified voters. When considering that 16.6 million voters chose our current Commander-in-Chief, the ability of the youth to determine our future cannot be ignored.
The younger generation is nothing if not passionate; in a time where social media dominates our society, with the “millennials” and “Gen Z” leading the charge, social justice warriors are adamant to post the daily news of injustice all around the world. This could very well spell the difference during our next election. The level of social awareness is considerably higher and their ability to easily exchange ideas online will spell the difference between leading the country and licking your wounds during a recount of votes, three years later.
Though we cannot generalize the motivations of the entirety of the youth vote, they will likely determine the outcome in 2022. The former chairman of COMELEC has been cited as saying that if 75% of the youth vote chose a particular candidate, he or she would most likely become our President. Truly, the fate of our nation rests in the hands of those who can count the number of Presidents that have lived in their lifetime on one hand.
Some might be quick to say that the youth could not possibly know what they want, having had a shorter time on this earth than those of us with knee problems. But, they have grown up in the age of information. I could even argue that they are more knowledgable than a generation still trying to figure out the internet. Yes, we lived through more, but they have the potential -right at their fingertips- to see where we could go. The youth are not easily swayed by personality politics or empty promises, they easily search for substantial factors such as the candidates’ specific positions on issues. It is true that their generation does not have a monolithic experience, but they will challenge each other to dig deeper than we ever could and, hopefully, break out of the echo chambers that have held the other generations from progress.
Though we have over a year before the end of voter registration, we must act now. In 2019, our voting population grew by an additional 9 million and, earlier this year, COMELEC announced a projection of 4 million new registrants. Though the number of additional voters since our last election has, indeed, increased, there are still tens of millions of eligible voters who are predicted not to register. The next election is too important to ignore; make sure your voice is heard. Aside from registering, we must do our part to engage in discourse – remembering that civic engagement is not limited to the polls. Though our right of suffrage is, considerably, the foundation of our democracy, there is still more than can, and should, be done.
Our participation in politics does not begin, or end, in May of 2022, the youth, and indeed the entirety of the country, registered or not, is not restricted to only participating in the elections. Our ability to effect change must go beyond registering, and voting, and move towards continuously raising the discourse. Whether you are pushing the boundaries through a “tweet”, “on the gram”, or through good old-fashioned “snail mail”, voting is only one way of promoting the welfare of your fellow Filipino. Make your voice heard through your vote and on your platforms.