Bets urged: Use social media to reach youth

Compromising 43 percent of the country’s voting population, the youth remain a crucial sector for candidates aiming to win in this year’s midterm elections.

For participants in the Youth Forum for Elections held at the Capitol Social Hall yesterday, candidates should empathize with their concerns and must be social media savvy in order to connect with them.

“We want someone who can relate to us; a candidate who could prioritize youth issues like tuition, student rights and one who could reply to us through Facebook and Twitter. In that way, we feel they are close to us,” said 22-year-old Kevin Ray Chua, the designated youth ambassador.

He said some young people also want candidates who can present clear solutions to problems like AIDS and whose backgrounds and programs are transparent and understandable.

“This time around, the youth are asking them (candidates) what there are plans are. There are candidates who is running for a government post yet they do not even have platforms of governance,” he said.

Chua is the executive vice president of the Cebuano Youth Ambassadors and was among the 300 young people who joined the youth forum for the elections.

“The youth vote is a big thing. We are looking forward for an avenue where candidates can share to the youth their agenda,” he said.

Agenda

Among those who heeded their invitation were Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, City Councilor Alvin Dizon, congressional candidates Aristotle Batuhan, Dr. Marlo Maamo, and former Judge Donato Navarro.

Yesterday’s event was attended by officers of the Student Supreme Council of different universities and colleges in Cebu.

Registration data of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) stated that voters aged between 20 to 34 make up 43 percent of the 52 million voters for the May 13 elections.

Chua  said the young people have adopted a new approach in knowing the candidates for the May 13, 2013 elections.

“The youth has a new approach. The social media makes candidates more closer to us,” he said.

Once elected, Chua said they will monitor those whom they elected to know if they fulfilled their promises or not.

As to the proliferation of illegal campaign materials, he said candidates should learn how to obey the law if they want to become servant leaders.

“We appreciate candidates if they remove these illegal campaign materials. We are dismayed if they won’t be able to follow simple rules. Whatever their plans are, it would be nothing if they don’t even know how to follow simple instructions. Their credibility will surely be tainted,” Chua said.

In choosing candidates, he said it is not necessarily important to avoid those who come from prominent political families.

“If a candidate is worthy, if he or she has done something then we can vote for him or her,” he said.

Chua urged young people to actively participate in the elections as well as to avoid vote buying and selling.  “If you witness vote buying and selling in your respective localities, report it. Use your devices,” he said. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol