Council: Intensify info campaign for new registrants

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council yesterday urged all barangays, academic institutions, student and youth organizations to intensify their information campaign for first time registrants for the May 2016 polls.

The council likewise encouraged the offices of the student councils and of the student affairs to set up help desks in their respective institutions to guide first time voters on the requirements and procedures of the registration.

Councilor Alvin Dizon made the call in a five-minute privilege speech before his fellow council members during yesterday’s regular session.

Getting involved in the election process is a concrete manifestation of the country’s functioning democracy, said Dizon, which gives opportunity for every citizen to participate in setting the course of national development.

“I urge each one of us to help disseminate this information and encourage the members of our communities especially the youth to take this great opportunity to help chart the future of our country…  First time voters are a critical mass this coming elections,” he said.

As registration ends on October 31, Dizon stressed that there are only 16 days left for first time voters to register since registration from October 12 to 16 will be suspended temporarily to pave way for the filing of Certificates of Candidacy of those running for office.

All Filipino citizens at least 18 years old and residents of at least six months of their place they wish to vote in are qualified to register via biometrics.

Dizon, citing the data from the Commission on Elections, said the number of first time voters for the upcoming elections has reached three million.

“It is crucial to ensure that the three million first time voters will be given ample opportunity to register so they can vote next year,” he said.

Comelec’s data further showed that there are around 17 million young voters out of the 53 million registered voters of the last 2013 elections.

“With the present, 17 million youth voters together with the three million first time voters, the combined 20 million youth voters is a powerful force that can potentially determine the future of our nation,” said Dizon.

Further, Dizon also requested all barangays in the city to provide all forms of assistance to make sure first time voters can register at any registration sites.

As a response, Councilor Philip Zafra said the Association of Barangay Council, in which he is sitting as the president, has been closely coordinating with Comelec.

In fact, Comelec has been conducting various offsite registrations in some barangays.

Zafra, who is also Tisa barangay chairman, attested that Comelec had administered offsite registration at their barangay twice.

“Every day we are encouraging voters especially for the first time registrants to just visit the barangay hall so that we can have it scheduled,” he said.

Apart from the barangays, Comelec will also be holding offsite registrations in  shopping malls in the city. It has set five alternate days for an offsite registration at Robinsons Cybergate (across Chong Hua Hospital) on October 11, 18, 25, 30 and 31 and on 26 until 29 at Ayala Center Cebu. — (FREEMAN)