A MANIFESTO of support calling for the conservation of the integrity of people’s vote for the progress of Bacolod and Negros Occidental was signed by various organizations under the Gugma Banwa (Guban) movement Friday, October 22, 2021, at the Bishop’s Palace in the city.
The manifesto states that they will strengthen the community of voters by gathering religious orders, civil society, youth organizations and other groups from different sectors of the society.
The group will also map out a clear and issue-based call of the people through multi-sectoral dialogue and boost participation of various sectors by giving them the opportunity to discuss and start a cause promoting democracy.
They also pledged to intensify the campaign about the 2022 Presidential elections by urging the youth to take part in the electoral process, create novelty and entertaining voter’s education programs, and pushing for non-political service for the people.
Most importantly, the group wants to maintain clean and honest elections.
The manifesto was signed by Joshua Eusebio of Bacolod Youth Coalition for Democracy and Jennifer Tingson of La Consolacion College Bacolod and representative of the academe.
Also, signatories in the manifesto were Reverend Fathers Chris Gonzales and Louan Torrefranca, Directors of the Bacolod Diocese Social Action Center and the Diocesan Youth Commission, respectively.
Guban, an inclusive, independent, loose and non-partisan coalition of various organizations and institutions, was officially launched Friday.
Gonzales earlier said the movement promotes voter education and envisions and encourages participation in democratic processes before, during and beyond elections among the youth.