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This Filipina ’ s
OPINION
By Dr Lilia Sevillano
A few days back , hubby and I were watching TV and an ad for the two coming referendums came on . At the end of it I turned to him and said . “ It ’ s amazing how we take voting for granted . It ’ s hard to imagine a time when minorities and women could not vote . What great times we live in !”
We are fortunate to live in a time and in a country where voting is an important part of life every 3 years . Yet many of us take it for granted and do not actually exercise this right . Sadly this has
The Right to Vote
left many of our citizens , particularly the youth , apathetic about how issues are resolved .
Many seem to think that their vote will not matter in a sea of other hundreds or thousands of votes . If you are of that mentality , think again .
Did you know that one more vote could decide which party ( in the case of New Zealand ) or candidate ( in the case of countries with presidential elections like the Philippines ) wins ? That one vote – yours – could actually tip the balance for one side .
The other day I attended the campaign launch of one political party at my local electorate . As I sat there observing the supporters streaming in , I realized that the majority were either middle-aged or elderly .
There were a handful of young ones , but these were part of the campaign group . Where were the ‘ young ’ voters ? The dismal lack of representation of said group seemed to reflect the apathy I mentioned earlier .
It had me thinking and reminiscing about my own youth . To be honest , elections then seemed an event that did not really concern me or my immediate concerns or interests . And I don ’ t think that attitude has changed much , regardless of where in the world one lives .
This was confirmed when some young people were interviewed recently on TV about voting . Most of the responses seemed to reveal that they didn ’ t see how it could make a real difference to them . And the second main reason was that they were not informed enough .
I myself only began to take an interest as I gained more years of life experience and a better understanding of the significance of voting . Perhaps what is needed for the younger population is a more proactive provision of educational awareness ?
The coming elections are important – as important as previous elections - and if there are young readers taking the time to
read this , I urge you to exercise the right to vote .
Collectively , if enough people vote , a difference can be made and you can be heard . We also finally have representation for Filipinos in the two main political parties .
Yet another indication of how fortunate we are to be in living in New Zealand . Voting these days has become so much easier : we can vote earlier than the actual date , there are voting booths conveniently located everywhere , there really is no reason not to take a few minutes – because that ’ s all it actually takes .
In the final analysis , vote based on your conscience and on who you think will genuinely best move the people ’ s and nation ’ s welfare forward , not on who is most popular or who kissed the most babies or what the
polls claim or who your family or friends are voting for .
Case in point , hubby and I are each voting for different parties . There will probably be friendly banter and ribbing if either one of our choices wins .
If you haven ’ t yet decided ( and there is time ), this requires , I think , a balance of using heart and mind , listening to all sides and doing your own research to help you reach an informed decision . But do not let that vote go unused . So many before us were deprived of this opportunity and in some societies still are . Let ’ s not waste ours .
Dr Lilia Sevillano is a professional Life Coach .
As more Filipino-Kiwis voice concerns , will their voter turnout surge ?
By Queenie Lee Tanjay
On 17th October New Zealand permanent residents and citizens will exercise their right to select the next set of leaders in the 2020 general elections .
Although migrants are a minority of the population , their participation has been more critical than ever due to the pressing issues present , such as the global pandemic .
In this regard , some Filipino migrants have shed light on their personal insights about voting and their various inclinations .
" It ' s essential to make our opinions / preferences heard through our voting rights . Undoubtedly democracy matters for the overall electoral results as we are part of a wider bigger change going forward and in the near future ," Jayvee Lagunda , an active voter since her migration here ten years ago , shared .
" It gives me the voice to
( from left to right :) Dorothea Hawkins , Meggy Bartlett-McBride , Leigh Vidamo and Jayvee Lagunda
express what I think and the changes that I hope for ," Leigh Vidamo , another registered voter , concurred .
With the vast array of platforms promoted today , migrants weigh up different programs and contemplate how each benefits the migrant population at large .
" I ' m interested in housing projects that make living affordable for more people .
“ My vote goes to platforms related to arts too , as most opportunities for younger generations only include Pasifika or Maori , but not Asians / Filipinos ," Leigh shared .
On the other hand Jayvee enumerates more than a handful of the projects she ' s interested in . "( 1 ) Covid19 response to continue to support small businesses affected by Covid through wage subsidy . ( 2 ) Justice for keeping our communities safe and support for victims of violence . ( 3 ) A boost in health funding ( cancer , mental health , viruses ). ( 4 ) The transportation infrastructure ( effective ways to counter traffic congestion and opening job opportunities for civil construction ). ( 5 ) Helping our whanau with warmer healthier homes . ( 6 ) The promotion of living with dignity and good wellbeing ."
" There ' s a large group of nurses , technical and construction workers , migrant families and related people supporting these platforms who will surely benefit from all of these ," Jayvee continued .
Moving forward , migrants still feel hopeful for better days , regardless of the surrounding uncertainty in the future , they regard their votes as sacred and as instrumental in driving changes .
" We look forward to platforms that continuously help grow the economy and support small and major businesses .
“ Completing these projects will definitely make a huge impact and a positive difference ," Jayvee concluded .
“ Just like everyone else , we Filipinos would like to elect a government that can improve conditions so that we can all move forward as a nation ,” says Dorothea Hawkins , coordinator of the Southland Filipino Society Inc .
“ But migrants also tend to choose candidates that promise to improve the welfare of migrants and to make their settlement in New Zealand easier .
“ For many Filipinos immigration is a key concern . They would like to see the incoming government implement favourable policies that can assist Filipinos to gain residency . Another concern is the housing situation as many Filipinos are trying to buy a house in Invercargill .”
“ It is so important for us to vote as it is the way for ethnic New Zealanders to participate in the democratic process and to determine who is going to govern this country ,” says Meggy Bartlett-McBride , co-ordinator of the Southland Multicultural Council . “ Our voices need to be heard and I guess that ’ s why we have so many Filipino candidates in this election aspiring to become politicians .
“ I believe that immigration matters are of great concern to a lot of Filipinos .
“ We ’ d like to see the government implementing more consistent policies that will benefit both migrants and New Zealand .”