EXPANDING ITS REACH to “create political awareness and safe political spaces,” the second installment of The Repvblic’s (TR) Tayo ang Soberanya (TAS 2) “raised awareness” was initiated by conducting a seminar entitled, “The Repvblic Voters Education Session 2: Forging a new path in the Political Science Discipline,” at Barangay 869 in Manila, March 9.
Established last year, Tayo Ang Soberanya (TAS) was initially conceived as a voter education program, aiming to equip the electorate with the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions. The program started off with a podcast and roundtable discussion, featuring esteemed guests from organizations like Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE), and other elections specialists like former College of Arts and Science (CAS) faculty, Mr. Jess Pasibe, along with other students.
Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Lee Saltore emphasized the primary goal of TAS, which was “to cultivate a safe political environment where voters possess sufficient understanding of their choices.” Through community engagement and activities, TAS endeavored to instill accountability among public officials and empower voters to scrutinize their representatives’ performance.
To recall, preceding the activity was the first session of TAS 2 dubbed as “Kabataan Para sa Bayan: A Voter’s Education Symposium for the Youth,” held last December 2023 also at Barangay 869. The strategic aim was to elucidate power dynamics between constituents and incumbents. Mini-games and discussions facilitated participants’ comprehension of political essentials and encouraged collaboration within the community.
The subsequent second session of TAS 2 delved into pressing political issues, notably the Charter Change (Cha-cha) discourse. In which, participants explored the potential ramifications of constitutional revisions, fostering critical thinking and dialogue.
TR underscored the pivotal role of TAS in bridging theoretical knowledge with practical engagement, especially for political science students. By immersing volunteers in grassroots activities like house-to-house campaigns, TAS provided invaluable real-world experiences beyond classroom confines.
The choice of Barangay 869 for TAS 2 stemmed from a commitment to “continuity and sustained community involvement. Moreover, Saltore emphasized the significance of “persistent engagement” to effect “meaningful change,” with plans to extend TAS initiatives to other communities in the future.
Regarding program efficiency, Saltore credited the dedication of the activity chairperson body, comprising Ashly Youssef Khalil, Oscar Ordanez, and Marian Malhi. He further exclaimed that “their proactive approach and receptiveness to feedback enabled continuous improvement and enhanced engagement with the target barangay.”
Looking ahead, TR’s commitment to expanding TAS’s reach and influence becomes more pronounced as plans to develop modules for community engagement and extend initiatives to regions beyond the National Capital Region (NCR) are underway.
Following the “success” of the activity, TR expressed their “gratitude” to the Bedan community for their “unwavering support, affirming resolve to persevere and thrive in its mission to cultivate informed, engaged citizens.”
(with Jake Evangelista)