Senator Sonny Angara on Sunday said he is elated to see that more Filipino youth are gaining courage to register and vote in the upcoming May 2022 elections.

“It bodes well for our democracy that our people are getting more involved in the electoral process by registering to vote in spite of the restrictions on mobility because of the pandemic,” Angara said in a statement on Sunday.

To date, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported that the number of new voters has reached 4.3 million. The poll body said 60 million Filipinos have registered to vote for the upcoming May 2022 elections and they are now targeting to add another one million by the end of the registration period.

Angara, who chairs the Senate committee on youth, appealed to all voting-age Filipinos to register now before the September 30 deadlne and not wait for the last-minute rush.

“You’re the ones who will be the most impacted by this (upcoming) election,” Angara said.

“You will be feeling the impact of your choices in the years to come. Who has the most at stake for the future of the country? It is the youth,” the senator further said.

At the same time, Angara urged the Comelec to intensify its public information drive, starting with state-run television and radio stations.

He also suggested incorporating the campaign with the ongoing national vaccination program of the government by asking local government units (LGUs) to place some posters or streamers at the vaccination sites reminding and encouraging people to visit their local Comelec offices and register for the 2022 polls.

“We already have so many people lining up at these vaccination sites so placing Comelec materials there could be very effective. Magpabakuna at magparehistro (Get vaccinated and register),” Angara said.

“If Comelec and its partners could encourage even more Filipinos to register, then we could even hit the 62 million mark for the 2022 national elections,” he stressed.