The Junior Chamber International (JCI) Philippines National has officially launched its #AmbagKo. Rehistro. Boto. initiative to encourage young voters to register and make their votes count in next year’s presidential polls.
“We believe in the strong potential of the Filipino youth in charting a new path for the country by choosing our next set of leaders. As an organization with young members ourselves, we at JCI want to use our platforms to encourage fellow Filipinos to register and vote,” said JCI President Jude Acidre.
Acidre, second nominee of the Tingog party-list represented by House committee on welfare of children chairperson Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez in the 18th Congress, said the campaign primarily targets millennials and Gen Zs.
Numbering 40 million or 37 percent of the entire electorate eligible to vote in 2022 according to the Philippine Statistics Authority and Commission on Elections, Acidre said Filipinos 18 to 35 years old will play a key role in shaping the future of the country.
Latest Comelec data show there are 3.48 million voter registration applications filed between January 2020 and May 15, 2021.
Of these, 1.5 million are new registrants, still short of the 4 million target by the poll body.
“While the campaign will mostly be done online, we at JCI will do our best to reach the Filipino youth and every eligible voter wherever they are. We are mobilizing all JCI chapters nationwide to reach more areas and more voters,” Acidre added.
Former JCI Regatta president Charie Ginete-Ilon said the campaign will have two phases – Rehistro and Boto – that will run from June to October this year and from November to April 2022, respectively.
“There are people who change their mind after they have registered. They will not vote anymore. That is why our campaign will not stop at registering, but will also include encouraging young people to vote,” she said.
The #AmbagKo Rehistro. Boto. initiative will also incorporate a gamification system wherein netizens can send their entries such as photos and videos related to the elections and be rewarded with points that could be exchanged for exclusive vouchers from their sponsors.
“We pray that with this campaign, we can increase not only the awareness but also the understanding of our fellow Filipino on what the right to vote means for our country’s future and inspire them to make that choice that will bring our nation forward as the election draws near,” Acidre said.
“Our hope lies within everyone’s ultimate ambag, and it is our thumb mark for registration and our votes that will make possible a better future for all,” he added.