SUMMARY
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MANILA, Philippines – One important challenge remains for voters of Baguio city and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in the May 2016 elections: to make their voices and votes count.
For the 2016 polls, CAR is the only region that fell below the one million mark in terms of voting population, with only 906,162 registered voters.
While its voting population is small, the region should not be undermined and ignored. In 2013, CAR registered 77.65% voter turnout, slightly higher than the nation’s average. In the 2010 elections, President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay also won in the province with 145,751 and 231,892 votes, respectively.
CAR houses both established and booming tourist areas like Baguio city, Sagada, Mt Pulag, and the Banaue rice terraces. The surge of tourists and economic activity in the region, however, brings its fair share of challenges.
How can we strike a balance between environmental sustainability and economic development in the region?
This is the question that both local and national candidates need to answer before the CAR electorate.
Baguio’s #TheLeaderIWant
In May 2015, Rappler launched #PHVote: The Leader I Want, its online campaign for its 2016 elections coverage.
To arm the Filipino youth with as much insight and issues concerning the upcomings elections, Rappler and its civic engagement arm, MovePH, held #PHVote forums across the Philippines in 2015 – Davao, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro.
We started 2016 in Laguna, Eastern Visayas, and Iloilo. Our next destination is Baguio!
#PHVote Challenge: Baguio’s #TheLeaderIWant will be held from 1 pm to 5 pm on Thursday, March 3, at the University of the Philippines – Baguio.
The forum will highlight important local issues that we think the youth should consider, and the national candidates should address, towards the road to May 2016.
Below is the program:
| Time | Activity | Notes |
| 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm | Registration | |
| 1:30 – 1:45 | National Anthem |
Main Hall |
| 1:45 – 2:00 | Welcome Address
Dr. Raymundo Rovillos UP Baguio chancellor |
|
| 2:00 – 2:30 | #PHVote: The Leader I Want
Glenda Gloria Managing editor, Rappler |
|
| 2:30 – 2:45 | Q and A with Glenda Gloria | |
| 2:45 – 3:15 | Telling the Story of the nation through social media
Voltaire Tupaz Editor, MovePH |
|
| 3:15 – 3:45 | Baguio and the upcoming elections
Fr Manny Flores Convenor, Baguio I Vote Good campaign |
|
| 3:45 – 4:45 | Landscape of Philippine national politics and the way forward
Voltaire Tupaz Panel: Information, Community and #TheLeaderIWant Panelists Edison Deus UP Baguio CAC representative
Migs Simsuangco UP Baguio Debate Society |
|
| 4:45 – 5:15 | Pledge: Take the #PHVote Challenge
Rupert Ambil |
Join us!
#PHVote: Baguio’s #TheLeaderIWant is open to the public. Those interested to take part in the forum need to sign up in the eventbrite link below. Registration starts at 11 am.
We also invite participants to sign up in the #PHVote challenge upon registration for a chance to win amazing prizes! – Raisa Serafica and Michael Bueza/Rappler.com
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