Officially Am

God knows how I truly wanted to participate in the coming national election. As a first time voter, I am anticipating the day of my registration. But with all the delays I experienced in coming back to our little town, I had to wait for that day. Weeks become months and I really thought I wasn’t going to make it. But with God’s grace, I was able to register myself validly.

The paper that certifies me as a registered voter :D

AND...

the thumb mark with the greasy ink on it! :P

The newly process of voting here in the Philippines is through an automated machine. Almost everyone—including me— is very excited to try this technology. Some are reluctant to use this technology because it’s all so foreign and they are trying to say that it could be hacked which could alter the vote of the people. But I believe that it is a step in improving our voting process since politicians with bad motives cannot do their usual cheating methodologies—I hope.

I am confident to say that this process can actually eliminate the customary deception of flying voters as well as the ever popular ghosts’ voters. In more than 10 years of my consciousness in this arena, I have witnessed cheating operations which includes dead people in the lists of actual voters. Other gun carrying men are trying to ambush those people who guard the ballots. Vote buying is also rampant. But with the finger prints as the basis of identifying people, I can say that my vote is somewhat secured. “Somewhat” in the sense that it is still susceptible to cheating since it will be the first time that our country will do this kind of process.

I just hope that with all those things the government is trying to do to guard our votes, let us do our part by not letting other people buy our votes, our dignity, and our belief. Let us choose those people whom we think can uplift the power within us.

With all the things that we see in our surroundings, let us not be blinded by the image these politicians are selling us. Remember, they are just the tools whom we can use to build this country a better one. And Philippines is in need of people who can partake the responsibility of building it once again.