Thursday, October 12, 2006
FTV launching Press Release
Youth Organizations Relaunch the First Time Voters Project
Different organizations from schools and communities in Metro Manila today relaunches in a music-caravan the “First Time Voters Project Registration Campaign”. Young people ages 17-21 years old, in their motorcycles and cars with loud music, hop around university areas to inform fellow first time voters of the ongoing registration and the need for young people to be active in the coming elections.
Young people comprise the majority of the voting population. For young people ages 18-24 alone, the projected voting population of the National Statistics Office in 2004 is 11 million. First time voters include those 18 to 21 years old who have not yet participated in the elections of 2004 and those 21 years old and above who have failed to register in the last elections. Each new voter, a Filipino citizen ages 18 years old in the day of the elections need to register as a pre-requisite in voting.
According to the group, 5 million and 2 million first time voters were disenfranchised in the elections of 2001 and 2004 respectively due to insufficient information for new registrants. “Our numbers show how crucial we are in the next elections. We would like to ensure that we will not have yet another case of millions of first time voters not having their chance to cast their first vote in 2007,” says Student Council Alliance of the Philippines NCR and Project Spokesperson Bianca Lapuz.
Earlier this month, the Social Weather Stations released their survey conducted in June 2006 that three-fourths (76%) of the 18-24 years old unregistered voters say they are unaware of the continuing voters registration.
The First Time Voters Project started as a national campaign in 2001 of youth organizations like Movement for the Advancement of Student Power, Student Council Alliance of the Philippines, Akbayan Youth and ALYANSA to extend registration for millions of first time voters who did not meet the registration deadline. Hurdles in the registration of 2001 and 2004, according to then Project Coordinator Marie Chris Cabreros, include lack of information, inaccessibility of registration venues, and differences in requirements for different areas especially for urban poor youth.
Aside from the concern on the registration, the First Time Voters Project is a platform for new voters to put their stake and agenda for 2007. “The lessons of 2001 and 2004 and the current traditional political landscape gave us basis to be pro-active in encouraging fellow youth to participate and not allow ourselves be muted in the electoral exercise that is very crucial in the coming months. If first time voters unite under a platform and choose better leaders that will transform the deteriorating situation that our country now is in, then we ensure the future we deserve,” says Lapuz.
The group hops in the University Belt, Taft Avenue, Intramuros, Aurora-Cubao and Katipunan conducting a program, playing music and giving out fliers on the registration information. The First Time Voters Project after in Metro Manila will be reluanched also in Cebu, Bacolod, Ilo-Ilo, Dumaguete City, Bohol, Davao, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro and Angeles City.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Register Now!
Sunday, October 08, 2006
What is First Time Voters Project?
2001 Special Registration Campaign:
4.5 million first time voters were disenfranchised as they did not meet the registration deadline due to lack of information-awareness drive by the Commission on Elections
- Stakeholders MASP, SCAP, ALYANSA and Akbayan Youth spearheaded the campaign to extend the registration
- Series of pickets, campus and community tours, leafleting, postering and a concert draw out mass interests and was popularized as a national issue and elicited public opinion.
- President Macapagal Arroyo’s visit at the first time voters’ camp and her administrations’ pledge of support
- The historic call for a special session of Congress by the President to revise the law which limited the time for the voters to
register - The class suit filed against the Commission on Elections to the Supreme Court
The Unang Boto, Anti-Trapo Campaign
Until now, advocates work to institutionalize the FTV project as our generation’s response in changing the socio-political culture of the youth towards alternative politics and transformative governance.
So what is it really about?
The first time voters project is a networking and education program initiated by various youth organizations who remain committed in raising the awareness of the youth in our political system as well as involvement in electoral engagement towards alternative politics and transformative governance.
It is a network of organizations and individuals that advocates meaningful participation of young citizens aged 15-21 years and pushes for 
electoral and political reforms necessary for the democratization and social inclusion of the youth in addressing the continuing apathy and individualism.
The first time voters’ project is a continuing process of developing a new generation of 
electorate who exercise their right to suffrage and maximize such potent tools in determining the fate of the country and their future vis-à-vis maintaining an atmosphere of active involvement.
Now..
- For the next fifteen years, Filipinos are to be composed of young generation (UNDP report)
Increasing numbers of Young Politicians in Government - Sangguniang Kabataan as youth’s space in democratization
- 72% of the electorate will be composed of youth voters
Beat the odds..
- Youth and Public Perception that Politics is dirty
Traditional practices in Philippine Politics as perpetuated by traditional politicians - Crooked electoral system because of
powerful fraudulent politicians - Personality-oriented and interest driven politics
- Growing culture of pessimism and individualism among the youth
- Lack of information and alienation of youth in political processes and institutions
- The insignificance of youth voice and youth vote
What to do..
- Processing the young generation with a different view of politics
- Developing a second line of reformed leadership
Rejuvenating the youth’s active involvement in political processes - Exercising the right elections
- A young generation who is young informed and critical.
Objective:
To raise meaningful participation of the youth in Philippine political processes by examining socio-political economic issues and encouraging voters’ critical choice and active political involvement towards alternative politics and transformative governance.
Vision:
The First Time Voters Project envisions an informed critical young electorate who actively participates in Philippine political processes aiming towards alternative politics and transformative governance.
Mission:
The First Time Voters Project tasks itself to educate the young generation while motivating their involvement and addressing the decline in their political and electoral participation through practical, youthful and action oriented means of intervention and cooperation
Programs:
1. Tapping network of youth and students’ organizations and/or individuals in the communities and sc
hools as first time voters
2. Tapping potential allied peoples’ organizations, non-government organizations and local government units to support the project
3. Printing and disseminating voters’ education materials
4. Spearheading registration campaign and awareness drive in schools and communities 
5. Facilitating popular voters’ and political education at grassroots level
6. Building a learning system for project stakeholders and volunteers necessary to carry out the popular voters education
7. Creating alternative means and venue for active political participation of the youth
8. Policy Advocacy
9. Capacity building for young people in governance
10. Formulation and Monitoring of Alternative Youth Agenda
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