Age 18 to 41 age bracket comprises 56 percent of the country's total votes come May 9, 2022. That is more than half or 65.7 million voters.
So, youth or "YO" votes essentially matter.
Thing is, 2022 sees a far advanced system of choosing a candidate. It is a digital world and social media is a determining space where to focus valuable resources of candidates to ensure votes.
Cyberspace is where the youth exist. It seems as though the digital space has transformed formidable areas into a microcosm of what the country ought to be or should not be. This is the "ground" where they influence, network, share, develop issues, and engage. Votes are translated hereabouts.
In other words, choices of the youth count. Listen to them!
The youth has a grounded perspective of how the country, in their mind, would evolve into given their sense in choosing a leader. Ideal as it may look, this perspective opens into further entitlement and idealism.
Guidelines in choosing a candidate is set as stiff as a building-tall stack of Lego blocks or a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle.
Majority of young voters OpinYon has interviewed can outrightly say who they favor as the next Philippine president in one go! What happened in Palo, Leyte where some 5,000 youth-members of Kadasig Pinktados Warriors made up majority of the People's Rally. They braved the threats and ignored harassments in this land identified as a "Marcos country".
Here, perhaps not all young voters, tech savvy as they are, manifested aggressiveness and assertiveness by braving to attend the Leni rally there. A few did not want to get into trouble and be tagged as a "red" or a "communist rebel". The only red we know come from the UniTeam.
The youth of Eastern Visayas are conscious of their role and have different standards in the campaign. Should they be excluded or ostracized?
As adults and more experienced in campaigning, we admit that the youth of today as more optimistic. They are the next breed of changemakers.
As older ones, all we can offer is to listen and support the youth.