In 2007 Kabataan Partylist started the campaign by launching a promotional video featuring young people from different backgrounds. Popular young showbiz icons also starred in the video.
This year we started our re-election bid by using new and old forms of campaigning. Aside from revamping our party website, we also launched an online postering campaign. I also appealed to my Twitter, Plurk, and Facebook Filipino friends to support and vote Kabataan Partylist on election day. On the eve of the campaign period, we already have more than 10,000 Facebook fans.
We planned to conduct a Balagtasan in Plaza Miranda but Erap’s party had already set-up a stage in the venue. We moved to Liwasang Bonifacio. The Balagtasan has a twist: partylist leaders will recite a Balagtasan piece in the traditional manner while invited rappers will perform a different kind of Balagtasan. Thanks to College Editors Guild president VJ Alquisola for writing the Balagtasan piece about the platform of Kabataan Partylist. The Balagtasan rap was performed in front of the Far Eastern University main building.
We held a motorcade in Manila. From Liwasang Bonifacio, we proceeded to Taft Avenue. We made a stopover in front of De La Salle and Philippine Christian University. Then we motored towards Morayta, Rizal Avenue, Mendiola, Legarda, and finally, Bustillos. I saw the Edjop historical marker near Bustillos Church. (Mayor Lim seems to appreciate and recognize the importance of celebrating historical events and personalities – aside from the Edjop signpost, he also unveiled historical markers on the Filipino-American War, Crispin Beltran, and Cory Aquino).
Our Quezon City chapter also conducted its own motorcade. Because we are a national party, our regional chapters also kicked-off the election campaign with various activities:
“In Baguio City, members held ‘KABATAAN Fest’ at the Malcolm Square. Meanwhile, KABATAAN Party-list in Panay released doves and balloons while Southern Tagalog, Negros, and Davao City chapters held grand caravans to declare KABATAAN Party-list’s intent to continue its service to the people…”
I gave a lecture on the 2010 elections in two nursing schools yesterday. I was impressed with the big crowd (800 students) that greeted me at Makati Medical Center nursing school in the morning. I also enjoyed my lecture at Southeast Asian College (UDMC hospital in Welcome Rotunda) where I addressed a group of 200 senior students.
The Pulse Asia January 2010 survey on partylist is quite distressing. I’m elated that Kabataan Partylist is assured of one seat. But the report also mentioned that majority of Filipinos are unaware of the partylist system. This means we have to step up our voters’ education campaign. We also have to develop a separate information dissemination program about the partylist system.
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