by Cecile Cinco
If you are an old-timer in the voting scene, say, voting more than thrice at least, you may say that you have learned by experience…or you still have not learned, for that matter.
How much more for a first time voter?
Good thing, in this age that we have the internet, plus the many lessons the lot of us have learned, either from a distance or firsthand, we have now an avenue to make an informed decision on who we should vote for.
In partnership with COMELEC, PPCRV, and Youth Vote Philippines, politicalarena.com is the first socio-political networking site that promotes voter education through special features like blog, chat, forum and even the latest news about what’s happening around and about the politicians. Would-be voters get personal by asking questions in different aspects and the politicians themselves answer. In each of the answers, the public can comment or ask further questions. While reading some of them, I can say that I’ve learned a lot more.
I’ve been educating myself in the questions/answers portion because not only do I see the point of view of the politicians but I also see the objections of the public. I myself have posted a comment in one aspect as it directly affects myself and the many who are like me, which also affects the general public.
There are many political issues that need answers. Our politicians are giving them although some say nothing yet about certain topics. Whether they have good or lame answers, or none at all, the important thing is we are informed. The site also has its political forum where users can exchange views.
Although this tool may not be reached by our uneducated and computer illiterate country men and women, it will be a big help for those who are better equipped and be the instrument for the less privileged to air their side of the story. As our own hero, Efren Peñaflorida said, there’s a hero in each of us which just needs discovery.
As a Luzon-based blogger, I think I can influence more people in my neighborhood to use this tool to have an educated decision before the actual voting. Even someone as myself who is not interested at all with politics and politicians, learned something. Whether I vote or not, what others do will still affect the whole result. Still, it is much better to be informed than just guess or do a mini-mynie-meni-mo kind of voting.
Politicalarena.com operates under the network of 88DB.com, the Philippines’ first rich media service portal.
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