Wake the Youth

Among the 68 million registered voters in the recently concluded midterm elections, approximately 50 to 60 percent of the electorate were from the youth. According to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), there has been an increase in the youth demographics among eligible voters. With the growing involvement of the youth in the country’s political discourse, failing to equip young individuals with the knowledge of governance, politics, and citizenship undermines the very foundation of democracy and steals the country’s future. Educational institutions and government agencies should work to equip the nation's young voters by providing curricula and programs that offer adequate information and training, allowing the youth to rightfully exercise their roles as both thinkers and citizens of the nation.

Recent news from COMELEC chairperson George Garcia identified a story of a teen girl who, after being asked about the midterm elections, was unaware of how the COMELEC even worked. This case, as expressed by the chairperson, was not uncommon among many teens. This reality exposes the insufficient understanding given to the younger generation and the irresponsibility that points back to their source of education. Failing to prepare the youth on matters detrimental to the nation not only reveals the educational faults in the system but also predicts the later state of the nation, of which its leaders are voted for by a blind electorate.

As government elections have entered the AI and technology ages in campaigns, the first-line audience rests among the younger generation. How information on political discussion and candidate trends is consumed, replicated, and propelled, therefore, is heavily dictated by the understanding and engagement of the youth. The 2022 presidential elections, as one heavily influenced by the media, showed how voters from younger generations played a crucial role in shifting election tides. Although the youth’s inclusion as a means for innovative ideas and solutions is encouraged by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself, many of the youth still lack the urgency to be involved. This can be a result of the neglect present in cultivating political awareness, economic literacy, and democratic values that leave the youth vulnerable to outside manipulation.

The MATATAG curriculum, launched in 2023, introduced core values of nationalism and value formation as key inclusions in the revised curriculum. Subject areas such as Makabansa, for example, center on teaching Grades 1-3 students of personal and cultural consciousness as citizens. While this serves as a useful foundation where one can build the knowledge of political understanding in children later on, there is a decline of such related subjects in higher grade levels, where students in senior high or college are not given mandatory education on political proceedings, candidacy awareness, and vote ethics. When it is these students who are approaching eligibility, there is a lack of real-world and practical aspects in their curriculum.