Register to vote—now!

By Joshua Corcuera

Today is September 20, and the end of September is nearing. Aside from the month, another thing will end by September 30—voter registration in the Philippines.

With all that has transpired since June-end of 2016, it is essential for the Filipino people from all walks of life—young or old, rich or poor, able or disabled, male or female, gay or straight—to make their voice be heard. The upcoming presidential election this 2022 will serve as a referendum on whether or not the nation was satisfied or otherwise on how the government managed the country for the past six years. There were a lot of crucial events that happened since then, with some perceiving them as either good for the nation or bad for our country—depending on the lenses that they view such events. Nevertheless, it is essential for everyone to exercise their right to vote—a power bestowed upon the people by the democratic system of government we currently live in.

It is true that there are long, chaotic, and confusing queues in voter registration, at least here in Metro Manila. As a matter of fact, I have just registered recently at a mall here in the country’s capital. Before I got there, though, there was a long story worthy of sharing. Before sunrise, I woke up to meet with my friend in our meeting place for the registration—and, as Filipinos, we turned up a little bit late for our rendezvous. Still, we tried our luck at the office of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). It was around 10-past-8 in the morning, and the crowd of people was so huge that it seemed there was no pandemic. Physical distancing was not observed by some, but there were police officers standing by trying to put things into order—but to no avail. To be fair, everyone was wearing their face mask and face shield. Yes, face shield. My friend did not reach the cut-off—at around 8 in the morning. He tried his luck elsewhere, but he cannot find a way. He will try his luck again next week and, hopefully, he can exercise his right to vote by May next year.

For me, however, I went to the nearby mall after finding out that residents of the congressional district I belong to were supposed to register there and not in the COMELEC office. As expected, the lines of people were long and, at times, stagnant. But, ultimately, I got an appointment for the following day and managed to get home before noon. I made sure that I will wake up even earlier on my appointment because I have quizzes in auditing theory and a synchronous lecture in advanced accounting after noontime. On my appointment, I was among the first ten people to fall in line. The process was smoother, obviously, and I managed to complete my voter registration before the mall even opened.

However difficult the process was, it was worth it—I can consider myself as a grown-up who has the potential to change the country and contribute towards the advancement of society. And, not to forget, I will have a valid ID soon other than my student’s ID. The deadline of voter registration, as of writing, is at the end of September and I hope that you, dear reader, will not miss the chance. And more importantly, vote wisely. Otherwise, do not expect that things will get better from where we find ourselves now.