FEATURES Youth-led change.Guess where.

ALESSANDRA LOGMAO

Mindoro.

After its successful run as a social movement in the 2022 National and Local Elections, Rehistro Mindoro, or RM as it is dearly called, has expanded its horizons for the upcoming 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE). Now under its mother organization, ADHIKA PH Inc., an NYCYORP and SEC-registered NGO, RM 2023 is devout to playing its part in the transformational change para sa kabataan at bayan.

In a nutshell, Rehistro Mindoro is a youth-led non-partisan coalition of youth organizations, leaders, and volunteers on the island of Mindoro. True to its tagline, “Responsableng Botante Ako”, its primary goals are to aid in voter registration and, more importantly, in voter education to help in creating an election that is values-oriented and principles-based. Furthermore, RM aims to through its sub-projects on voter education. Furthermore, it also gives credence that youth participation and engagement in democratic governance can only be strengthened if the youth genuinely knows what they are dealing with – that for the strongest soldiers to win the toughest battles, they should first be equipped with the right knowledge.

Your Voice is Needed positions itself as a coalition using the following: Democratic and Participatory Governance, Inclusive and Innovative Approach, and Youth as Changemakers. This positioning puts the key players in creating the change RM aspires for in the spotlight. In essence, RM recognizes that for change and progress to happen, the government must be democratic and participatory. RM also acknowledges that for the genuine tackling of various political and social issues, different conventional and contemporary strategies should be used so that all sectors of the community are engaged and taking part. Lastly, the coalition understands that the prime catalysts of change the society has now are youth, thus, they should be at the frontline of nation-building. The coalition, therefore, acts as a giver of opportunities for the youth to practice their responsibility to participate in politics and in society. provide a safe avenue where its members and volunteers advocate for good governance, become critical thinkers, and freely share their stand on various social and political issues. As a program, RM stands by its core message of strengthening youth participation and engagement in democratic governance. For the BSKE 2023, its key messages are the following: Voting is a Responsibility, Truth will Prevail, and Your Voice is Needed.

RM believes that the youth has an inherent passion to take action for the betterment of the nation. Thus, this is an avenue where this passion can be exercised and where it is greatly appreciated. It trusts that once the youth’s beliefs and opinions are rooted on genuine truth, their passion to act will automatically follow. Therefore, since its establishment, RM and its leaders have always been at the forefront to stress that its success as a movement is solely because of the collective effort of the youth behind it. RM’s core message from the NLE 2022 until the BSKE 2023 has always been the same: the youth is the key to the shift our country needs, or in enigmatic words, namulat ka na sa katotohanan, kasalanan na ang manahimik.

Besides these key messages, it is also vital to include the ‘personality’ and ‘positioning’ of Rehistro Mindoro to fully understand its advocacy and mission. RM, as a youth-led coalition, describes itself to be inclusive, authentic, transformative, factual and up-to-date, and safe and non-threatening.

For the BSKE 2023, Rehistro Mindoro plans to conduct intensive on-the-ground campaigns for voter registration and voter education from December 12, 2022 until January 31, 2023. As of writing, it has been successful in mobilizing its volunteers from all over the province of Oriental Mindoro to aid their municipal ComElec offices in registering as many qualified voters as possible. After the deadline on voter’s registration, RM plans to organize an intensified voter education campaign targeting schools, local government units, church, and media.

Voting is a Responsibility

More than the surface-level belief that suffrage is a right to vote granted by the Philippine constitution through Section 1, Article V, RM believes that suffrage is also a right to shape the future and a responsibility to elect leaders who will determine the future and progress of the nation. Because of this, RM pushes for the idea that making an informed decision will transform the lives of a million Filipinos. Thus, advocating that voting is more than a right, it is a responsibility. Through its projects, RM intends to make voters realize that they are voting not only for their future but also for the future of the marginalized sectors in society.

Truth will Prevail

RM believes that the first step to making an informed decision is to combat the trend of fake news, misinformation, and disinformation. As a coalition, it acknowledges that throughout history, the main weapon that the ‘bad’ side used to manipulate the public is the alteration of the truth. With this, RM stands by the relevance and importance of truth which

Inclusive. Not only in the sense that it accepts volunteers and members from all walks of life and ages, but also because in its mission to aid in voter registration and education, it is, in turn, representative of all sectors of the society. It does what it does because it understands that for all sectors to experience genuine inclusivity, someone must advocate for it.

Authentic. RM takes pride in being a homegrown community of local leaders and organizations. All its leaders, members, and volunteers are trueborn Mindoreños which makes the coalition and its mission much more meaningful.

Transformative. All of RM’s efforts are rooted on one basic truth: something needs to be changed in society and it is the responsibility of the youth, as future-makers, to contribute in making this change happen. This is why it strives that all its projects are purposeful and brings out change to the community, to its individual members, and volunteers.

Factual and up-to-date. The coalition, because it values truth the most, makes sure that all the information dispensed to its members and volunteers are accurate and updated.

Safe and non-threatening. RM is firm on its decision to be welcoming of all social and political beliefs as long as these beliefs are anchored on the truth. It started as a secured platform free of prejudice, and it wishes to stay like that for as long as it stands.

Moreover, Rehistro

After it finishes its plans for the BSKE 2023, Rehistro Mindoro aspires to extend its reach to all over the country, understanding that the youth-led transformational change it brings about is needed.

Youth-led change. Guess where. Philippines.

Soon.