By Connie Calipay
LEGAZPI CITY – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Bicol brought voter registration and education services closer to young people in Albay through a province-wide satellite registration activity at the University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi (UST-L) on Wednesday.
Dubbed “Magparehistro Na, UST-L,” the initiative combined voter education and registration services to encourage student participation in the electoral process ahead of the 2028 National and Local Elections.
Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia, who led the activity, underscored the need to prioritize students in voter registration, noting that young people can also influence their families and peers to participate in elections.
“We should prioritize students because they are the ones who will eventually grow older. They can also encourage their parents, family members, siblings, and friends to vote and choose their leaders,” he said.
He added schools are among the most effective venues for voter registration and education, as they provide opportunities to guide young people in understanding their responsibilities as voters.
Garcia said the Comelec, along with educational institutions, must work to help students become informed and responsible voters.
“We need to work together and guide them, with Comelec taking the lead in its capacity as the agency in charge of elections,” he said.
Garcia said voter education should not influence students to support particular candidates but should instead equip them with the knowledge to make independent decisions.
“Take note, Comelec cannot and should not tell them whom to vote for. But at least through our partnership with schools, we can guide them on how to choose the right leaders,” he added.
Garcia said increasing the number of registered young voters must translate into actual participation in elections.
He said the country’s youth population constitutes a significant voting bloc, making their participation crucial to determining the country’s leadership and direction.
Garcia also hoped that youth participation in the 2028 elections would exceed the level recorded in the 2025 polls, citing increased awareness from voter education initiatives.
Meanwhile, student registrant Lari Caithlyn Rivero, a Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) student, said learning about the registration activity encouraged her to check her eligibility and take the first step toward becoming a registered voter.
“When I learned that there was voter registration, it became easier for me to find out whether I was already eligible to register. As I became more aware of political issues in the Philippines and around the world, I was motivated because I realized that we have the ability to change the country’s system,” she said.
Rivero also cited the importance of young people’s involvement in shaping the country’s future, particularly as she prepares to graduate.
Students, faculty members, and other stakeholders attended the activity, with election officers from various municipalities assisting UST-L students with registration.
The initiative aims to make voter registration more accessible to eligible students while strengthening their awareness of the importance of informed, responsible participation in the democratic process. (PNA)
