Technology brought two of my worlds – ABS-CBN and STI West Negros University – together for a very good cause on October 20. Taking pride in what we, the AB Communication, AB English Programs of the College of Arts & Sciences, Master in Public Administration and Doctor in Public Administration Programs of the College of Business Management and Accountancy, and the National Service Training Program of the university managed to hold in partnership with Bayan Mo iPatrol Mo and the Commission on Elections managed to organize and launch in such a short time.
A thousand and thirteen (yes, I counted them all!) students attended the BMPM Voters’ Education Webinar via MS Teams. Dabet Panelo, training officer of BMPM was surprised when she found out how big our virtual audience was a few minutes before she started the webinar. Cindy Ballesteros, election officer of Cadiz City, who spoke on behalf of Atty. Ian Lee Ananoria, provincial elections supervisor of Negros Occidental, even mentioned in her talk that this is the very first university-initiated voters’ education webinar in Negros Occidental that was able to gather an audience as big as the abovementioned number of participants.
Ballesteros gave a primer on the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on October 30. She also educated the young voters on the political landscape in Negros Occidental and the Kontra Bigay Campaign which strengthens efforts against vote-buying and vote-selling. This is a whole of nation approach that involves instrumentalities of government.
Panelo on the other hand, reminded college students, student leaders, campus journalists, and those belonging to the NSTP, to not only exercise their right of suffrage which is guaranteed in the Philippine Constitution, but to use their energy, creativity and skill in the use of technology to ensure that the upcoming polls will be fair, honest, clean, peaceful and orderly.
She emphasized the critical role of citizen journalists during the elections. Citizen journalism is carried out by private citizens who are playing an active role in the process of collecting, analyzing, reporting, and disseminating information. The chief content aggregator of ABS-CBN’s citizen journalism arm went back to 2007 when Boto Mo iPatrol mo was launched which later on evolved and became Bayan Mo iPatrol Mo in 2008.
She told the attendees that BMPM has an unwavering commitment to public service and continues to organize voters’ empowerment and citizen journalism workshops. She taught the students the necessary skills for mobilizing campaigns and encouraged them to vote based on important national issues.
Panelo did not only stress the importance of citizen journalists having the skills to navigate digital technology but also how critical it is for every Filipino to be informed and educated about election-related policies and campaign practices that are allowed and disallowed under the Fair Elections Act and other related legislation.
She also warned students against disinformation and underscored how crucial fact-checking is in this age when people are quick to believe, share, and spread even highly-suspicious information on social media.
“BMPM’s workshops on fact-checking the elections are targeted mostly to senior high school and college students, or those who are first time voters. The aim is to provide proper context about the Philippine elections and why it is important for the youth to engage and participate in the whole election process while armed with educated, accurate, and verifiable information. The discussion on information disorder is significant and critical at this age when the youth rely mostly on social media for news and information,” explained Panelo.
Graduate and undergraduate students got to interact and ask questions from the resource speakers during the open forum. Jezahel Rones, a Mass Communication major and a Master in Public Administration was among students who asked questions to the lecturers. Rones said the webinar was insightful and very empowering especially to the youth. “If only we could extend the webinar so that all of the students who wanted to ask questions to our guests could be accommodated. We learned a lot from the speakers from BMPM and COMELEC. We also realized that as citizens, we ought to do something and not just be mere fence-sitters and spectators, if we really want to guard our ballots and ensure that the elections will be honest, fair and peaceful,” said Rones.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rey Eslabon, NSTP Head and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs said it has been his dream for NSTP to partner with BMPM.
“The NSTP is aimed at enhancing civic consciousness and defense preparedness among our youth. We in the university believe that we can only effectively fulfill the objectives of the program if we expose our students to activities that will develop in them the ethics of service and patriotism. Bayan Mo iPatrol Mo is a program that both educates and empowers the youth to be vigilant, empowered and responsible Filipino citizens. Malasakit or care for others and for our country is one of the core values of STIWNU,” said Eslabon.
Introducing and linking my past to my present world gives me a sense of fulfillment, knowing that in bringing them together, a higher purpose is being achieved – young Filipinos are taught the true meaning of love of country and community service – two things that seem to be so scarce among the young these days.*
