A NON-GOVERNMENTAL organization seeks to educate voters in the upcoming 2022 elections on the qualifications they must consider in electing the country's next leaders.
We Need A Leader (WNAL) 2022, originally launched in Tagum City, Davao del Norte last January by former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, is a group that advocates for massive voter's education ahead of the national and local elections on May 2022.
The group has since launched local chapters in different cities and towns in the country, including Cagayan De Oro City in Misamis Oriental and San Simon town in Pampanga.
According to one of WNAL-San Simon Chapter volunteer Loreto Santos, voters must understand the weight of their choices in every elections, be it local or national.
"The people must understand that they have a choice on who their next leader would be, and that they must use it wisely for the betterment of the Philippines, especially that the effects of Covid-19 will continue to be felt in the next years," Santos said.
He said the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has brought "big and serious" problems to the Philippines and the next leader must understand its depth and its effect to the lives of Filipino people.
"Many business enterprises have shut down, and the jobs and livelihood of millions have been lost so we need a leader who knows what must be done, and who will hit the ground running," Santos said.
He laid out some of the qualifications that must be considered by voters when electing the new leaders, such as those that have the right education, have word of honor and conviction in beliefs and principles, and should not be numb to the situation of poor Filipinos, rather have empathy on their daily struggles.
Santos said they are already tapping different sectors of the society such as barangay leaders, youth representatives, and members of the LGBT community to cascade their advocacy.
He said they are capitalizing on social media platforms to reach more people and inform them of their rights to vote.
Santos, meanwhile, clarified that they are not endorsing any national or local candidate as they are more focused on their campaign to educate.