abashet:

I registered today!

This piece is dedicated to Sandy and Ida who plan to have even their boycott felt.

Here are the steps I followed. 

1. I asked people from my barangay hall where we need to register. Since I am from Bgy. Magallanes, I am assigned to register at the COMELEC office found in the Makati Fire Station Bldg. (near Saguijo, Ayala Ave Ext cor Yakal St.)

 If you want you can also refer to the COMELEC PRECINCT FINDER (naks, hope this works for their sake.) 

2. I looked for a valid ID that had my photo AND the home address as proof that I am a voter of that district.  So, I repeat, your ID needs to have an indication of the address. Okay? They accept NBI Police Clearance, Work ID, School ID, Passport, basta ang importante may proof of address along with the proof of identity. I cannot stress that enough. Sayang oras kung mali eh. At ang TAGAL ng verification nila, I saw people waiting in the hallway because their ID's had no address on it. 

3. IMPORTANT: You need to photocopy that said ID (front and back) because you will leave that photocopied ID with the COMELEC.  No, they are not allowed to photocopy for you and no, not all Comelec district offices have photocopying machines in the premises.*  At least in the Makati Fire Station, I couldn't find one so we photocopied my ID BEFORE going to register.  (Please remember this, sayang oras if you need to walk somewhere pa or go back and miss the registration hours just because you didn't photocopy your ID.) 

*as an aside - I am BEGGING the COMELEC to just provide FREE photocopying services to the people registering. Imagine, ipapabayad mo pa sila to photocopy their ID eh yung iba nga eksakto lang yung pamasahe to get there. Kung kaya ng gobyerno magpakain sa LeCirque -tingin ko kaya rin nila mag provide ng libreng Xerox. It's a simple addition to the election budget but the tremendous relief and service it gives to the individual voter will go a long way. And that's the whole point, right? Serve the individual voter. 

4. Go to table that says STEP 1. (at least in the Makati Comelec District 1Office - there's a desk there with a nice lady named Jane) Get the proper form for your 'election condition' - either you need a white form (new registrant, first timer or someone who didn't vote for the last two polls) a green form (transfer of precinct from another residential district) a blue form (change of information, new civil status, last name, etc) or a yellow form which is re-registration if you're disenfranchised but you're sure you got to vote in the recent polls. 

5. Step 2 where I was had no instructions, I'm not sure why. It was an extra desk with extra forms.

6. Step 3 is filling out the forms in triple- original, meaning you will fill up the same type of form three times.  Only four signatures are required of you (3 consecutive, I guess to check the consistency of your handwriting) and the other signature is above your printed name (why do they do this ALL the time?) and right under your left and right thumbmark. Thumbmarks happen much later, steady ka muna. 

7. Step 4 is to wait for your name to be called out because your forms (that you filled out in Step 3) are turned over to the next desk.  Here, they will log your name on a literal log book, ask for yet another signature, and then they call you for a photo (Step 5) and a biometric scan of your right and left index fingerprint and your right and left thumb print. This part is the most exciting- because by this time you are sweaty and oily and your hair is all over the place and then they take your photo!

Aside: I smiled for my photo because I was approaching the end of my registration accomplishment and feeling a bit proud of myself, plus I figured that'll be the government's file photo of me for a very long time.  I thought if I did something funky, they will think twice when they search for my records because I have my best Kindergarten friendly smile on their records. Maybe they'll think twice before believing any accusations against me. "But she looks like a really nice person....." 

8. Step 6 is going back to Step 4's desk (yes, the logbook desk) to sign again that you had your photo taken and then they will take your right and left thumbprint again (this time with ink) and this is the time you put all thumbprints into the forms you filled out in Step 3) I guess they need to do this zig-zag way to prevent any mix up of photos and fingerprint matching.  Fair enough.  Except that I wish there was more space in the line that we move in. 

9. Step 7 they give you a detached part of your forms (it's a one-inch strip from the bottom of the paper, so much so that it resembles a thick tape) and this is your Comelec Acknowledgment Receipt that proves you are now registered.  It is thinner and less significant in appearance than the parking tickets of MegaMall or wherever it is that you shop so don't LOSE it!  Keep it in a safe place. Maybe your desk instead of your wallet - because if you're like me, I periodically throw out strips of paper from my wallet that mean nothing.  But this thin white strip means my power and privilege to VOTE so I will stash it somewhere else. A corkboard might be your best bet. 

10. Step 8 thank the Comelec adminstrative staff who helped you, lend your ballpen to other registrants lining up. Coincidentally TV personality Jinky Oda was registering behind me in the line so I lent her my ballpen - my claim to Glutathione supported fame! So, there I lent her my ballpen, I stalled a bit outside talking to some people in line. I wanted to know why they were voting and why go through the inconvenience of this and many of them say it is because it is their duty.  I am put to shame. So humbled by the devotion of the people who exerted greater effort to be there- more than I did.  Chamba ako may naghatid sa akin sa Comelec office - pero alam ko karamihan sa atin nag co-commute at nagtitipid para mag paXerox ng ID...grabe. I was so proud of us. I was so proud of our citizenship.  And the more I am angry that people in power who systematically steal from institutions that should rightfully give us better service. We do our share, I mean REALLY, they should do theirs.  (note: The Makati Fire Dept is the BRAVIEST among the brave. Wala lang.) 

So, my great learning for today.  The Philippines is not its government. The Philippines is its private citizens who GIVE rather than TAKE from the country. 

Wait! There's a number 11 to this list.  

11. Step 9 - After you've registered, the Comelec will send you information on your precinct (naturally) to the address you registered today.  They will mail it to you. No signs of a Voter's ID for me today, so I guess it's the thin white strip that says "Acknowledgment Receipt" for me. I would've thrilled at a nice ID with my photo on it though, and it says, VOTER.  I think the government should just give us that. That'll help me withdraw client checks easier from the bank, too. Where is the service?!  Anyway, I digress.

12.  Step 10 study the candidate's platforms. Listen to them maski feeling mo at the onset "ayaw mo siya."  Hear them out anyway and then fully decide who to support.  If you want to campaign for someone then you should decide sooner. But for me, I will take my time - up until April 30 2010 I will keep my options open.  My personal goal is to have a choice by the 1st of May. So I have at least a week to tell my friends over discussions who I'm voting for and why. Or if I'm voting at all. If I boycott these elections, at least my protest will be felt because I registered.  So yes, even that matters and yes, even that is an option still. 

13.  They say 13 is an unlucky number. I say it's cool because number 13 on my HOW TO REGISTER list is to actually vote.  And if I get to vote and clearly express my choice, I think that's lucky.  Because maybe - just maybe they won't cheat this time around. 

Like the first Rock Ed T-Shirt says - *printed in 2005*  Choose frustration over indifference.   

Sige, so today sabi ko - mas gusto ko nang ma-frustrate kesa walang gawin.  

Ikaw anong gusto mong gawin? 


-Gang Badoy
Rock Ed Philippines
18 Sept 2009
826pm


PS: Hanggang Oct 30 na lang ang registration. They're open from 8am-11am- then in the afternoon from 1pm-4pm. That's just a bit more than a month from today.  Go, register if you want to. 2010 is too important to go rebel yelling for nothing. Register, punk.   A better version of this will come out in www.gmanews.tv - abangan yun. 

PPS: Jinky Oda is really white.