Deadline for voter registration is on April 29
With only a few days left before the registration deadline, the Commission on Elections in Central Visayas (Comelec-7) is urging the youth to register for the upcoming October 2017 Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
Comelec-7 Assistant Regional Director Veronico Petalcorin said during the Kapihan sa PIA (Philippine Information Agency) at the Cebu Provincial Capitol that voters should not wait for the last day of registration on April 29 to avoid falling and waiting in long lines.
Petalcorin said some of the youths might have lost interest to register because the SK elections had always been postponed.
Out of the 4.4 million youth voters in Region 7, only 1.3 million have so far registered.
Petalcorin, however, assured that the Comelec is already prepared when it comes to facilitating the Barangay and SK Elections on October 23, 2017.
“Our teachers are always ready and they have been attending trainings on poll watching,” he said.
He assured that SK will have an interesting and more exciting years ahead especially with the implementation of Republic Act (RA) 10742, which is also known as “Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act of 2015.”
Lenbi Laborte, the regional convener of 11th National Youth Parliament and a member of the Cebuano Youth Ambassadors, cited some provisions under the RA 10742 during the forum, such as extending the voting age from 15 to 30 years old.
However, only youths 18 to 24 years old on the day of the election are allowed to run for chairmanship and seven members.
Each elected SK official has a three-year term.
Charlton James Canoy, chairman of the Central Visayas Youth Commission, said the SK Reform Act is effective.
“When I was an SK chairman, the budget for SK was held by the barangay chairman since I was not of legal age,” Canoy said.
Cebu City Youth Affairs Committee chairperson Jess Anthony dela Cruz said they have been conducting school caravans to encourage students during their flag ceremony to register for the SK.
Laborte, together with the Regional Youth Advisory Council, will also hold a Regional Youth Fair on April 26 at Robinson’s Galleria.
The event will feature youth and youth serving organizations, their projects and platforms, youth forum and talent show.
They will also invite the Comelec to campaign for the youth to register for SK elections.
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