PPCRV exec: 2019 polls ‘year of the youth’

MANILA – The 2019 midterm elections is the year of the youth, an official of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) said Monday.

In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA), PPCRV media director Agnes Gervacio said they have been utilizing their youth ambassadors to advocate for citizen participation in the elections.

“What’s different this year is that this is the year of the youth. We have been using our youth ambassadors in order for us to be able to spread the news about the elections, practical tips in order to participate in the elections,” she said.

Gervacio cited celebrity-athletes Chris Tiu, Gretchen Ho, Alyssa Valdez, and Dzi Gervacio as some of the PPCRV youth ambassadors.

“We have young athletes, champions in their own fields, to promote and volunteer for PPCRV,” she said.

Gervacio said voters who are still in the polling area by 6 p.m. can still vote.

“If there are voters that are still in the perimeter of the voting area, they’re still allowed to cast their vote,” she said.

Gervacio said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) was able to address some technical glitches experienced in various polling precincts.

“Yung ibang lugar pinapalitan ang VCM (vote counting machine) at bumoboto uli sila. Nakakita tayo ng maraming reports na nasosolusyonan naman po ng Comelec yan (Vote counting machines are replaced in other locations so voters can cast their ballots again. We have seen many reports that the Comelec provides solutions to those),” she said, when asked by reporters on the recent election incidents.

The PPCRV is set to encode the election returns, being the recipient of the 4th copy, Gervacio said.

She said there are some 100 computers that “will be manned by 100 volunteers”.