PETA launches Rak the Vote campaign
THE PHILIPPINE Educational Theater Association (PETA) has launched a creative voters’ education campaign using theater and video called Rak the Vote: Mobilizing the Youth for Change, or #RakTheVote, which will run from June to October. The campaign aims to encourage young people to register and vote in the national elections in May 2022.
According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and Commission on Elections (Comelec), 40 million youths aged 18- to 39-years-old are eligible to vote in May 2022. Rak the Vote’s efforts are part of an overall drive to register an additional 4 million youth voters by Sept. 30.
“PETA has always believed that art and theater has a greater purpose than just being a form of entertainment. In our 50-year history, we have always stood for democracy. Every election is an opportunity to remind every Filipino of each one’s power to choose the leaders who will chart the path of our future,” Rak the Vote project proponent and PETA Executive Director Maria Gloriosa “Beng” Santos-Cabangon said in a statement.
“We know that the youth can make a difference. Using the arts and creative approaches, PETA hopes to engage the young voters in meaningful dialogue and reflection about the elections. The goal is to encourage them to let their voices be heard and exercise their right to vote towards effective and meaningful youth participation,” she added.
PETA is using a mix of existing videos from its past voters’ education campaigns, and new materials created specifically to address the youth during this time.
The campaign kicks off with an online streaming of the vaudeville musical about elections, Vincent De Jesus’ Si Juan Tamad, ang Diyablo at ang Limang Milyong Boto, exclusively to partner schools and communities via Ticket2Me from June to August. The musical underscores the significance of “every Juan’s vote.”
Each time the musical is streamed, it will be followed by a discussion with PETA artists as well as influencers from PETA’s partners in the project We The Youth Vote and Impact Leadership network such as Miss Trans Global 2020 Mela Habijan, actress Ria Atayde, and content creators Janina Vela, Macoy Averilla (a.k.a. Macoy Dubs), and Thysz Estrada.
PETA and its partner organizations in the campaign will fill their official social media pages with young actors, led by select cast members from PETA’s hit OPM musical Rak of Aegis, as well as young and inspiring Filipino influencers, urging the youth to register and vote.
PETA will also produce a series of videos and informative materials that encourage local voters’ registration initiatives on the ground and through social media.
The project is supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Philippines, and MISEREOR Germany.
For more information about Rak the Vote, search the hashtags #RakTheVote, #40Mstrong, #RegiToVote, or follow PETA’s social media pages: https://www.facebook.com/PETATHEATER and https://www.facebook.com/LingapSining. To register to vote, visit bit.ly/irehistro.
