COMELEC, DepEd strengthen youth voter education through BATA program
By Nora L. Molde
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — More senior high school students in Agusan del Norte and Butuan City will gain a deeper understanding of the electoral process, ethical leadership, and responsible citizenship through the Bumoto Ayon sa TamA (BATA) Program, a voter education initiative of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Agusan del Norte that aims to develop informed and discerning future voters.
The initiative is expected to help build a more educated electorate by equipping young Filipinos with the knowledge and values needed to resist misinformation, reject vote-buying, and participate meaningfully in democratic processes, contributing to better governance and national development.
The program supports the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in empowering the youth, strengthening civic participation, and promoting good governance by developing responsible citizens who can actively contribute to nation-building.
Agusan del Norte also became the first province in the Caraga Region to institutionalize the BATA Program through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between COMELEC and the Department of Education (DepEd), setting a benchmark for integrating voter education into senior high school learning and encouraging similar initiatives in other provinces.
The MOA was signed during the program’s official launch on June 25 in Butuan City by Schools Division Superintendent Jeanie L. Mativo and Provincial Election Supervisor IV April Joy P. Balano, formalizing the partnership between COMELEC Agusan del Norte and the DepEd Schools Division of Agusan del Norte for the implementation of the program among Grade 12 learners.
“The BATA Program is more than a voter education initiative; it is an investment in the nation’s future. Through structured learning sessions, students will gain a deeper appreciation of the electoral process, ethical leadership, and responsible citizenship, preparing them to exercise their right to vote with integrity and informed judgment,” Balano said.
Balano said the decision to fully implement the program was driven by the encouraging results of its pilot implementation, which demonstrated strong interest and positive feedback from participating schools and students.
She added that the pilot implementation, conducted in 12 schools in Agusan del Norte Division, two schools in Cabadbaran City and one school in Butuan City with around 1,100 Grade 12 students, showed the value of introducing voter education before young Filipinos reach voting age, prompting COMELEC to strengthen its partnership with DepEd and expand the initiative to more schools.
Through structured learning sessions, the BATA Program seeks to prepare future voters to make informed choices, uphold the integrity of elections, and appreciate the importance of every vote in shaping communities and the nation. The program also aims to develop values that promote responsible, ethical, and empowered participation in the country’s democratic processes.
Witnessing the MOA signing were COMELEC Caraga Regional Election Director Edwin O. Cadungog, Kitcharao National High School Principal I Kristoffer F. Ebasco, and other election and education officials.
The BATA Program forms part of COMELEC’s continuing voter education campaign to nurture informed, responsible, and values-driven Filipino voters whose active participation in elections will help sustain a stronger, more responsive, and accountable democracy. (NCLM, PIA Agusan del Norte)
