Rock the Vote @RocktheVoteph in partnership with Blog Watch will hold senate election/debate forums

Follow Rock the vote on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RockTheVotePh/ and on twitter @RockTheVotePH

Being informed is always the start of our political maturity. Substantive issues that affect the interests and rights of the youth should be part of the plans and programs of our future officials. Too often, political campaigns are about empty slogans that don’t relate to the real issues that the youth is currently facing. As such, Rock the Vote seek venues such as debates and senatoriables’ forum to ensure that the vote of the youth is not in vain.

After the successful senate elections forum at the The Rundown 2013 , more are expected during the campaign period.

Rock the Vote 2013, a youth initiative that aims to engage the youth in advocating for clean, peaceful and responsive elections will partner with Blog Watch to cover the senate election forums in various schools for the period of February to May. As the social media partner, Blog Watch will live stream at https://blogwatch.tv.s175152.gridserver.com/livestream and tweet via #juanvote hashtag . Smart Communications will assist Blog Watch in delivering the live streaming coverage.

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Blog Watch will also take part in the biggest youth-initiated event entitled Rock the Vote Goes to U: Campus Caravan that will consist of voters’ education, poll watch trainings and seminars that will take place from February until May 2013. The partner schools include major universities and colleges across the metro, with populations that reach to over 10-50 thousand students.

Schedule of the forums

Senatorial candidates should take time to participate in these forums as many students are first time voters.

This is the schedule for Metro Manila. (More to be updated)

    February 22, 2013 Philippine Normal University Feb 22 (2:00 PM- 5:00PM- Senatoriables’ Forum)

    March 2, 2013 University of the East Caloocan, Rock the Vote: Senatoriables’ Forum UE Caloocan (9:00- 12:00 PM)

    March 4, 2013 Ateneo de Manila Univerity, Rock the Vote: Senatoriables’ Forum Ateneo de Manila Univeristy (9:00- 12:00 PM)

    March 6, 2013 Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Senatoriables’ Forum and Concert PUP Gymnasium

    March 15, 2013 University of the Philippines, Diliman Rock the Vote: Senatoriables’ Forum UP Diliman (9:00- 12:00 PM)

The forum will consist of 3 parts:

1.) Questions from online and offline audience (1 minute answering time for Senatoriables)
2.) Questions from panellists and Blog Watch (1 minute and 30 seconds answering time for Senatoriables)
3.) Senatorial debate proper (2 minutes per debate question/issue)

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“Halalan sa Paaralan”

The “Halalan sa Paaralan” activity is aimed at simulating the election period in a localized University/College setting. Bringing and compressing the entire election period in schools will, hopefully, encourage students to become critical and involved voters for the coming May 2013 elections.

“Halalan sa Paaralan” is a week-long activity that is made up of the following events:

    1. Voters’ Education
    The voters’ education program is aimed at providing users with knowledge about how automated elections work – from the machines to the processes to the issues. And, taking voters’ ed up a notch, the program also discusses the nature of the elections and its impact on national politics.

    2. Pollwatchers recruitment and training
    The voters’ education section also hopes to produce youth volunteers who will be given special training as pollwatchers in the coming elections. Each school can have their own special pollwatchers’ group representing the school in ensuring clean and honest elections.

    3. Senatoriables’ debate/forum
    In order to (1) bring the candidates closer to the youth and to (2)forward students’ issues to the candidates, those running for senate will be invited to discuss their stand and their projects relating to students’ issues. Candidates will also be challenged to debate over students’ issues.

    4. Mock elections
    Following the voters’ education talks and the candidates forum, the activity’s synthesis will take the form of mock elections. The mock elections aim to reflect the students’ learning from the voters’ education talks while gauging the impact of the senatoriables’ forum.

Follow Rock the vote on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RockTheVotePh/ and on twitter @RockTheVotePH.

Line up of activities in other regions

February 9, 2013 Rock the Vote: University of Negros Occidental
Rock the Vote: University of Saint La Salle in Bacolod

February 16, 2013 Rock the Vote: University of the Philippines, Cebu in UP Cebu

February 23- 28, 2013 Rock the Vote: Pangasinan State University SystemRock the Vote: University of Pangasinan in Pangasinan

March 1-6, 2013 Rock the Vote: De La Salle University, Dasmarinas
Rock the Vote: Cavite State University System in Cavite

March 8, 2013 Rock the Vote: Mindanao State University in Mindanao

March 15-16, 2013 Rock the Vote: University of Southern Mindanao System

March 22-23, 2013 Rock the Vote: Bicol University
Rock the Vote: Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges in Bicol

Rock The Vote 2013 is made up of young, energetic, and motivated youth who actively organize events that incite the participation of other members of the youth sector. These events create venues for youth members in identifying political issues, how it affects them and how, they must effectively address these.

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