PCCED holds Voters Education Forum
As the May 2016 elections near, the Philippine Center for Civic Education and Democracy (PCCED) in partnership with the First Asia Institute for Technology and Humanities (FAITH), held a Voters Education Forum for students, teachers and community leaders in Tanauan City, Batangas last March 9, 2016.
With the theme, “From Responsible Voters to Good Citizens”, the forum gathered more than 300 voters in a program that included workshops, mock elections and a “candidates forum”.
The forum also included sessions on “Understanding Philippine Government” facilitated by Raiza Cusi and Aepril Maite Palo, PCCED program director and program manager respectively. Cusi highlighted the need for voters to understand the functions, qualifications, and powers of the positions candidates aspire for. “For instance, we need to use the same standards for the President and the Vice President given the fact that the latter is a heartbeat away from the number post of the land,” she explains.
The unique feature of the forum is the workshop where participants discussed important issues in their communities and what they think are the urgent concerns of the nation. Cusi explained that the workshop is designed to make voters understand their issues before looking at the platforms of candidates. “Your understanding of the issues important to you will determine the choices you make in the elections.”
PCCED and FAITH have been working together since 2008 on Project Citizen, a program for youth leadership and Civics Training for Teachers.
