Today is the 77^th anniversary of the Filipina vote. To celebrate this very important occasion, Spark Philippines sponsored an intimate forum, ‘When Women Vote: Politics, Governance and Development’ at Club 1851 in Makati. Victoria Garchitorena, former Ayala Foundation President, challenged those present to spark reforms in their barangays and to get involved in the political process themselves.Amina Rasul, President of the Philippine Center on Islam and Democracy, talked about the significance of creating a real women’s vote especially in the new Bangsamoro.

Spark trustee Maribel Ongpin encouraged everyone to become watchdogs of their communities, to proactivelypresent opinions using traditional and social media so as to foster good governance.

The very essence of democracy is the responsibility of electing the right people – matino at mahusay – to govern and lead our country. The kind of government that we will have is a consequence of this choice. Therefore, we should get involved.

We have 740 days left before the 2016 National and Local Elections. The COMELEC is set to implement a ‘no biometrics, no vote’process. 9 million out of the existing 52 million do not have biometrics. And there are 3 Million first time voters to be registered. We have 12 million voters to reach in less than 700 days. Half of the existing voting population are women but we have yet to see women voting for an issue affecting women and women coming together because of a common goal to participate fully in the affairs of the Philippines. The time is ripe for women to lean in and take a seat to fully invest in the future of this country.