Benilde Central Student Government (CSG) established Botong Benildyano 2022 (BB2022), a three-year project that seeks to educate and involve the Taft community regarding the upcoming 2022 Philippine national elections to increase voter turnout and socio-political engagement.

“Botong Benildyano 2022 serves as a way for the Benildean Community to not only maximize their right to vote but to also be consciously aware [of] the socio-political climate of the country. Furthermore, I believe that the youth has the capacity to be the agents of change that our country needs,” CSG Community Engagement Committee Deputy Director Doreen Kelsey Lagman stated in an interview with The Benildean.

Lagman, along with the Community Engagement Committee director Darrel Cabbarubias, Elected BB2022 Convenor Rachel Kamille Olaño, and staffers Abigail Villaruel, Alyssa Belda, Juliene Alaina Luague and Natasha Magalong, are the people behind the project under the mandate of incumbent CSG President Jason Anchores.

According to their primer, the project is created due to the countless political issues faced by the nation such as poverty, unemployment, and environmental legislation. Given such, their aim is to spread awareness about the importance of having a vote and its impact, focusing often on educating people on how to vote rather than who to vote for.

“In the Philippines, we are constantly being confronted with chaos towards our political stand because a lot of this is being left without a proper settlement. [...] A voter education would provide citizens with knowledge regarding the election process because it will serve as [a] basic information about participating in elections and Botong Benildyano will serve as a way to assist and give recognition to the purpose of voter's education,” the primer mentioned.

Composed of two pillars, education and engagement, Botong Benildyano prepares and motivates voters to participate freely in the country’s electoral process and exercise their right to suffrage, providing them with necessary election literacy to confidently select good local government leaders which also extends to engaging in discussions regarding policies that are of national interest.

“Every qualified voter must know that their voice matters. Socio-political engagement should not only be exercised during the time of elections but instead, a routine to properly engage and be aware of the processes of it,” the primer further explained.

“Being educated and engaged [has] a big impact in realizing our responsibility as Benildean-Lasallian in contributing for the betterment of our nation,” Lagman added. 

The three-year initiative is separated into stages per Academic Year (AY): 

• AY 2020-2021 - Pre-launching, hiring, and launching of BB2022
• AY 2021-2022 - End of Voter’s Registration and Filing of Candidacy
• AY 2022-2023 - Campaign Period

According to Lagman, it will focus within the Taft network, particularly the barangays within and near St. Scholastica Manila, De La Salle University Manila, and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

“Botong Benildyano is not limited inside the four corners of our community, it serves every Filipino citizen and [we aim to] invite them to be knowledgeable in the political state of our country as the nation awaits for the nearing national elections in the year 2022,” Lagman mentioned.

In need of Benildeans to the rescue

Since BB2022 is a DLS-CSB student-manned initiative, manpower is needed and positions are currently open for hire.

“To Benildeans, this opportunity is ours to take. There is a responsibility vested upon our shoulders and we must have courage to take this challenge as we unleash our potential as the future leaders of our nation,” Lagman emphasized.

Applicants who wish to be part of the team may apply and submit their forms during the hiring period in the upcoming weeks. 

“We will be hiring at first the people who are willing to lead the committee, there will be [a]  one on one interview with them to assess their knowledge and skills in the matter of governance, as well as the staffers,” Lagman further added.

The available position and committees that are in need of committee heads and staffers with their respective purpose and roles, aside from the job description provided by the BB2022 Facebook page, are the following:

BB2022 POSITION:

• Co-convener (1 person)

• General Manager of BB2022, responsible for all project developments
• Overseeing all the committees and overall progress of the project
• Responsible for managing heads and ensures the completion of tasks on time

BB2022 COMMITTEES:

• Communications (3 Committee Heads and maximum of 10 staffers)

• Coordinates the committee members under its two subcommittees: Marketing and Creatives, to efficiently and effectively communicate the message of BB2022 to their target audiences
• Organize both Creatives and Marketing to disseminate information effectively

• Secretariat (1 Committee Head and maximum of 10 staffers)

• Oversees all the paperwork
• Compile and organize needed documents by the entire BB2022 team
• Documentation and reporting of all meetings conducted

• Research (1 Committee Head and maximum of 10 staffers)

• Keen on new information that may surface regarding the 2022 national elections
• Conducting data analysis, data processing and surveys
• Information gathering and ensuring credibility

• Programs (1 Committee Head and maximum of  10 staffers)

• Responsible for organizing events that could showcase the BB2022 project
• Arrangement of webinars, activities, other programs and gimmicks that can help captivate target audiences
• To create interest and engagement for the project in order to communicate with more people

• Externals (1 Committee Head and maximum of 10 staffers)

• In charge of all external affairs and sponsorships
• Public relations management
• Identification of external opportunities
• Excellent Communication skills to maintain partnerships 

According to Lagman, they are currently in the first stage of their timeline with the pre-launching event already done that involves the release of the Facebook page and different committees and positions that Benildeans are challenged to be part of. The hiring will open soon and will end by October, which will follow a meeting of the newly hired committee heads and staffers. The official launching of BB2022 will commence in the second week of November 2020.

In addition, the project’s second and third stages will be decided and hosted by the newly hired committee members. Nonetheless, there are default projects that are planned ahead, such as information dissemination and mock elections.

“We always dream about having a nation that is constantly up for progress. Botong Benildyano 2022 will definitely remain true to [its] mission and vision for our community and will commit towards voter’s education that will lead us to be empowered and prepared [for] the [2022] national elections,” Lagman stated.

Students interested in joining the initiative can follow BB2022 in their official Facebook page or email Elected BB2022 Convenor Rachel Kamille Olaño: rachelkamille.olano@benilde.edu.ph  for more information and updates.