DSWD SUPPORTS CALL OF NATIONAL YOUTH COMMISSION TO PRIORITIZE VOTERS’ REGISTRATION OF OSYS, YOUNG PWDS

As an agency tasked to uphold the rights of the vulnerable sector, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) supports the move of the National Youth Commission (NYC) urging the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to prioritize the registration of voters from the ranks of the out- of -school youth and young persons with disabilities (PWDs).

“OSYs and PWDs are sectors that have special needs. They need full attention due to their limitations. Specifically, PWDs may need special facilities and devices to aid them during the registration and actual voting process,” DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said.

In a resolution sponsored by Assistant Secretary Jose Rafael Cruz, it stated that the OSYs and the young PWDs are often faced with challenges and vulnerabilities that deprive them of meaningful political participation.

“The Filipino youth accounts for about 40% of the total voting population and according to the AIM Policy Center, it is estimated that there will be over 10 million potential new youth voters between 2012-2040”, said Asec Cruz.

It cannot be denied that the youth vote is a significant factor in shaping the political landscape and the youth is pressing for much needed reforms.

In a recent survey published by the Social Weather Station (SWS) in March, it was found out that 4.5 million Filipinos are not yet registered to vote.

The COMELEC has set the deadline for voters’ registration on October 31, 2015. Hence, there is an urgency to ensure that the remaining unregistered yet qualified Filipino voters must be registered in time for the 2016 elections.

“Given these facts and figures, there is a need to intensify the call to strengthen information dissemination, especially to the out of school youth and those differently abled persons to feel that they are part of the electoral system and that their votes must be counted,” added Cruz.

The need to ensure that the OSYs and young PWDs are equally given the opportunity to exercise their inherent right to vote is one of the government’s main concerns. # Source – www.dswd.gov.ph