VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur (PIA) — The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) recently held a unique event that merged voter education with violence against women (VAW) awareness.
The automatic counting machine (ACM) demo and voter’s education session, held at Plaza Burgos, was transformed into a platform to promote gender equality and safety.
COMELEC officials, including Commissioners Nelson Celis and Socorro Inting, graced the occasion, which was themed “Wear Your Red” to symbolize the 18-day campaign against VAW.
The event was organized in collaboration with COMELEC’s Ilocos Region and Ilocos Sur offices.
Celis mentioned that this city has been chosen by the central office for the conduct of the annual gender and development activity.
“VAWC is not only for women and children; it includes everyone as well as the lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, queers and intersex (LGBTQIA+), so as a man I can see the importance of promoting the rights of mothers,” he said.
He added, “As someone who has seen firsthand the violence of some husbands to their wives, I believe that it affects their children who witness these horrific events that impact their psychological well-being and grow up in the society.”
He explained that they comply with the laws and protect the rights of women and children, stating that they have co-workers who are women and are part of the LGBTQIA+ community that is why they give importance to disseminating information on how to treat women well.
To further the VAWC awareness campaign, COMELEC invited experts from Bayi Incorporated and its own Education and Information Department to conduct talks on the topic.
Valerie Rafanan, one of the students from STI Vigan, stated, “As a woman, it is important that they have these activities where they educate everyone, including men, on respecting and protecting the rights of women.”
She said, “It is also a good avenue for the COMELEC to introduce the automatic counting machines, which I understand helps make voting more convenient.”
Additionally, students and women’s organizations actively participated in various competitions, including cooking, poster-making, and booth design contests.
JCI Vigan clinched the poster-making contest, STI Vigan emerged as the first-place winner in the cooking competition, and Ilocos Sur Community College took top honors in the booth design category.
By combining voter education with VAWC awareness, COMELEC demonstrated its commitment to addressing societal issues and empowering individuals to make informed choices. (AMB/ATV, PIA Ilocos Sur)
