By Reese Pastrana and Joaquin Yulo

Inevitably as seniors, a time will come when we’re put out into society as functional citizens, each with unique roles and responsibilities that come with being of legal age — one of which is the responsibility to vote. For many students of Batch ‘25, May 12 of the following year marks the first opportunity to take part in the midterm elections. Specifically, they, among many other Filipinos, will be polled on their choice of congresspersons, governors, mayors and councilors.

Despite being granted the responsibility of choosing the direction of the country for the next four years, it is inevitable that some Filipinos will hesitate to vote on a plethora of grounds. Amid these excuses, however, rings the voice of reason — why they need to vote. Though, aside from the usual everyday reasons, why do ASHS students need to exercise their right to suffrage?

The Approaching 2025 Elections

Now that a lot of us will be eligible to vote by the May 2025 Elections, it is important to realize how much a single vote is actually worth. One may think that their vote doesn’t matter against the mass consensus, so why bother voting in the first place? 

According to the Commission on Elections (ComElec), there are more than 2.5 million newly registered voters. However, there are also 5 million deactivated voters, with only around 600,000 of them who chose to reactivate.

Though there are many who can vote, there are also a lot of people who do not have the same ability. A vote, though a right, is also a privilege. Not everyone is able to vote due to reasons such as age, accessibility, documents needed, and offenses made. Under this as well are those who were not able to reactivate their voter status.

Given that, it makes it all the more important for those who can to exercise their right and privilege to vote. The registration will be open until September 30, 2024. As long as you fit the needed criteria and  have a valid ID, the process of registering will not be taxing. You will just need to fill out the form and be interviewed by the registration staff. 

Who are eligible to vote?

According to the Commission of Elections (ComElec), any Filipino citizen that is not yet a registered voter can apply to be registered if they are:

• At least 18 years old on the May 12, 2025, the date of the national and local elections
• A resident in the Philippines for at least a year and a resident of their local municipality for at least six months before the elections
• Not disqualified by the law

Are there any documents needed to register?

Those who plan to register need to show a valid ID. You may present your student ID, Philippine passport, LTO driver’s license, and other government-issued identification. 

How do we register?

We can send our application forms online throughComElec’s iRehistro program on their website. You may also apply onsite in numerous satellite offices. 

The application process will be done as such:

1. Presentation of valid ID
2. Interview by the registration staff
3. Filling out of application form
4. Checking and verification for form
5. Biometrics capture
6. Issuance of acknowledgement receipt

Until when can we register?

The deadline for the registration will be on September 30, 2024.

(For more information regarding requirements, schedules, and locations of the satellite offices, you can check the ComElec Official Website)

Way Back Home — Voting in the ASHS

In the context of the ASHS, we’ve partaken in voting numerous times during the year. Whether it be the class officer, strand vice chairperson, or the year-end elections, the school gives us a stepping stone where we can practice proper voting. Additionally, there are events such as the Town Hall Debates and the Miting de Avance where all students are encouraged to join and watch. This also teaches the students the importance of not only voting but also being informed. Whatever we may learn here in the ASHS regarding this, we surely can apply them in the local and national elections which we will soon be eligible for.

Many seniors, and even a select number of juniors are approaching the eligible age to partake in national and local elections. However, even before getting into the scale of the present Filipino political landscape, the Ateneo Senior High School’s Commission on Elections is an organization dedicated to ensuring both truthful and high-yielding elections within the ASHS. As the organization’s Vice-Chairperson, Cornelio Samaniego puts it, “The ComElec is the sole governing body of the ASHS dedicated to the cause of facilitating and moderating the elections of our community here in the school. We oversee the facilitation of any electoral process…” 

Before each student eventually ventures out into the world of Philippine politics, it is the ComElec’s role to “educate the student body about the democratic process and the overall importance of voting. Through our electoral duties, we wish to enable the community to flourish under deserving, capable, and competent student-leaders. More importantly, the elections we handle inculcate a sense of responsibility which, I think, is valuable growth towards becoming a well founded civilian of our country,” says Rob Marquez, Candidate Relations Officer.  

Being the Change We Want to See

Both Marquez and Samaniego agree that exercising suffrage is equivalent to shaping your community — whether that entails the ASHS or beyond. Each ballot contributes to a larger collective that inevitably has the stride to shift an entire election. Marquez puts it as such, “Our individual votes may seem insignificant, but abstaining from voting diminishes the strength of the larger collective voice.”

However, the ComElec officer extends his point even further – “In the ASHS, but more importantly in our country, voting is a civic duty that affirms our belief in the system and serves as our individual contribution to the legitimacy of the democratic process.” As mentioned, voting is an affirmation — a voice of trust in the electoral system and a casting of hope in the election. It is proof that we, as the collective Filipino voting population, trust in those who hold the power to count our votes and make sure they count. It is our way of exercising trust in the system which governs our society, and our manner of contributing towards that society in hopes of speaking up. 

Samaniego concludes, “if you are discouraged from voting since ‘one vote doesn’t change anything,’ just know that many people are also thinking of such and if you guys as a collective cast your vote, you have the power to change an entire election.” The true enemy of democracy is abstinence, because not speaking up for yourself can be equated to not speaking up for those who share a belief with you. Through abstinence, the national and local electoral system still face cases of misinformation — wherein candidates are represented wrongly simply because their supporters chose to abstain.

It is essential that we realize how much our votes actually mean. To vote is to spark change – no matter how small it may seem to be, it is all significant. By exercising our right and privilege to vote, we choose to take a step towards a future that we want not only for ourselves but for our fellow citizens as well. When we take the time to register and equip ourselves with the necessary knowledge about the leaders we need, voting becomes meaningful. It acts as a vessel for us to be involved, for us to be heard.

With the deadline of registration fast approaching, let’s be part of making that change. After all, a single vote is a shade for the future of our barangay, city, and even, the country.