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Rationale
At this point in our nation's history, the Philippines is at a time of most potential. In less than 10 months, the Phillipines will elect a new President.
The Opportunity - The Youth Vote
The youth vote is the biggest, however it is defined. Various estimates depending on how the upper age limit of youth is identified - 30, 35, or 44 years old - peg the youth vote from 40% to as high as 70% of the electorate if all eligible voters register.
According to National Statistics Office, the country's projected population for 2009 is 92.2 million, where population aged below 18 is about 30 million.
As of October 2007, there were 48,190,702 registered voters, Commission on Elections statistics showed. Of these, about nine million are youth voters, between 18 to 35 years old. This means over 14 million unregistered eligible voters as of date.
Who are the Youth?
The National Youth Commission puts the "Youth" as the critical period in a person's growth and development from the onset of adolescence towards the peak of mature, self-reliant and responsible adulthood comprising the considerable sector of the population from the age fifteen (15) to thirty (30) years. Meanwhile, the UNESCO stretches the limit to age 44.
Who the Youth Will Not Vote?
Generally well-informed and educated - especially being multi-media, ("www - worldwide web") and advertising literate - the Youth vote is indeed a "thinking" vote.
Survey and mock election results of a recent youth conference, dubbed YouthVote 2010, attended by select delegates composed of student leaders and young decision-makers revealed that 76% felt they were not represented by the current set of presidential aspirants. Only one candidate got 25% (the highest) even as 14% indicated no preferred candidate among the given choices.
Who are the Youth's heroes
These point to what seem to be a cynicism among the Youth with the present government leaders and indicate that the Youth are seeking for an inspirational or transformational leader amid the system's prevalent and much publicized graft and corruption practices.
Also, according to a recent youth study by a leading worldwide advertising agency, the Filipino youth look up to adults - specifically their parents as heroes, a positive shift from a few years age when movie stars were mostly their idols.
Rizal For President
Unfortunately, there are very few in the current adult political leadership who we can pinpoint as worthy models of values, integrity and selfless love for country.
As the first true-blooded Filipino, National Hero Jose Rizal, had lived, proven but continues to possess the ideal, timeless leadership principles that the youth can look up to, emulate and consider as criteria for the new presidency even - and most especially today .
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