Column of the Day A good source of election materials
A good source of election materials
- Details
- Published on Sunday, 17 February 2013 23:00
- Written by ELLEN TORDESILLAS
By A Web design Company
‘There is no democracy if there’s no election. There’s no election if there’s no democracy.’
THERE is no democracy if there’s no election. There’s no election if there’s no democracy.
Election is an occasion for the people to choose the leaders they want to lead them to give substance to Abraham Lincoln’s definition of democracy as “government of the people, by the people and for the people.”
For the people to wisely choose their leaders, it is important that they are well- informed. This is where media plays an important role.
VERA Files (www.verafiles.org) has set up a microsite VOTE 2013 to help voters know the basic facts as well as issues in the May elections.
Employing multi-media (text, photo, video), the microsite has six sub-sections: Election timeline, Election 101 (where you get basic information like laws on election contributions), Stats at a Glance (basic statistics like number of registered voters for the May 2013 election), Senatorial Candidates, Yahoo PH! Purple Thumb, and Vote 2013 Crowd Map.
Yahoo PH! Purple Thumb carries the feature articles related to elections that VERA Files produces. There are very interesting posts like video-feature “Campaign jingles all the way” by Krizia Arcangel about jingles by candidates and how effective they are in getting votes.
I have a feature on simple physical exercises that candidates and their staff and reporters can do during the campaign to keep fit. After all, surviving the campaign is more important than winning.
But the one we (disclosure: I’m one of the trustees of VERA Files) are very proud of is the Vote 2013 CrowdMap which is a tool to crowdsource information on the 2013 elections.
We welcome reports on election-related incidents, hotspots, candidates and dynasties through an iPhone app, Android app, email, twitter (#verafiles, #vote2013) or a default form.
We verify all reports submitted . Vote 2013 is a work in progress so expect more and more information in the coming days and weeks.
The development of the Map was sponsored by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives.
There’s a section on Dynasties that shows how politics in the country is a family business.
That page lays out the political dynasties of the Espinas in Biliran; the Apostols in Leyte; the Veloso-Loreto-Cari family also in Leyte; the Uys in Catbalogan City, the Babalcons in Paranas, Samar; the Tans in Samar;
the Cayetanos in Taguig City; the Garcias in Bataan; the Gordons in Olongapo City; the Pinedas in Pampanga; the Lobregats in Zamboanga City;
The Marcoses in Ilocos Norte; the Valdezes in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte; the Fariñases in Laoag City, the Naluptas in Batac City ; the Singsons in Ilocos Sur .
The Singson Political Dynasty is most interesting. Check it out here:http://crowdsource.verafiles.org/reports/view/99.
