I will register to vote!

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After the Pacquiao fight, there’s been a lot of talk about a new advocacy that was launched on the same day (right?) – Ako Mismo.  The TVC had appeal, there were some known personalities along with unknowns, but more important than the endorsers – the message was timely and very relevant.

I checked out the website right away but was disappointed (as were many others, I later learned) to see that you had to register before you can read about the campaign.  Why not allow people to see who was behind the campaign, and what they aim to achieve?  I closed the page and went about with my usual Net activities. 

A few days later, I saw Chorva’s post about the same campaign and she posted an excerpt from the site.  Looks legit, not bad at all. I decided to check it out again and sign up too.  I was disappointed yet again because the wall of committments had spam already! Anyway, there’s still buzz about the campaign and I’ve seen a couple of blogs about it, it’s been on the papers too I think. I sincerely hope this isn’t some movement that is actually supporting a specific candidate.

This country needs advocacies like this one. It needs campaigns that actually get people to move their big butts and do what they can to get the society they want for themselves, and their children.  Next year, we’re set to elect a new president.  We need voter education campaigns, I don’t know if Ako Mismo will have that too. So guess what I pledged when I registered on the site? Ako Mismo magrerehistro para makaboto (I myself will register to vote).  Okay, I forgot the exact verbiage but that’s what it was. 

Yes, now I’m admitting a shameful fact in my blog: I am 27 years old but I’ve never cast a vote because I’ve never registered to vote.  And this isn’t out of protest, it’s not even a political statement.  When I turned eighteen, I didn’t know the deadline for registration that year.  Then I just didn’t make any effort. But this year, I will register.  It’s in my list of things to do in my upcoming vacation (that I am so looking forward to).