Japan funds ¥234-M voters' awareness project in Bangsamoro
2024-Aug-02 19:00
VOTER AWARENESS. Japan Ambassador Kazuya Endo (right) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Resident Representative Dr. Selva Ramachandran sign the exchange of notes for the voters' awareness project in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in a ceremony held in Makati City on Thursday (Aug. 1, 2024). The initiative seeks to promote the digitalization of the electoral process in the region. (PNA/Joyce Rocamora)
MANILA – The Japanese government is funding a ¥234 million (around P91 million) project to help raise voters' awareness for the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in 2025.
The initiative, which also seeks to promote the digitalization of the electoral process in the region, would be implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Japan Ambassador Kazuya Endo and UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Selva Ramachandran formalized the initiative with the signing of an exchange of notes in a ceremony in Makati on Thursday.
"I believe the successful conduct of this election has the potential to greatly validate the key decisions and dialogue behind the peace process thus far," Endo said in his speech.
"In aiding the BARMM's citizens in their decisive choices, our partnership with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the UNDP aims to introduce greater clarity to the electoral process, build up the capacities of concerned stakeholders, and help bring about a more participative voter base through digitalization," he added.
The envoy said he sees this initiative reducing voter apprehension while equipping them with the knowledge to arrive at fact-driven decisions.
Through this 1.5-year project, Bangsamoro voters would get easier access to information on the candidates and manifests of political parties, as well as the structure of the Bangsamoro Parliament in contrast to that of the national government.
The project would also cover the provision of internet access and dedicated servers to introduce enhanced flow in information sharing and supplement voter deliberations through analytics.
"As a fellow democracy and proponent of regional peace, Japan's longtime participation in ongoing developmental efforts is evidence of the great premium it places on preserving the gains of the peace process and continued stability in the BARMM," Endo said.
The BARMM is conducting its first regular parliament polls in May 2025, which will be held simultaneously with the national midterm elections.
The Comelec said it will continue reaching out to far-flung areas until the registration period ends on September 30.
The signing ceremony was attended by Comelec Director and Special Assistant to the Chairman Frances Carolyn Aguindadao-Arabe, Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Director Anthon Cayaco, and Carlos Domingo Guevara of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPRU). (PNA)