The government of Japan and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have partnered up in raising the voting awareness of locals in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) as its first parliamentary elections are set next year.
Japanese Ambassador in Manila Endo Kazuya recently led the signing and exchange of notes for "The Project for Raising Voters’ Awareness and Promoting Digitalization of Electoral Process in Bangsamoro."
The project's goal is to achieve peace, stability, and progressive socio-economic development in the region following its recent creation, the Japanese embassy said.
It aims to boost voter participation by informing the citizens, particularly women and vulnerable groups in last mile areas, about the Bangsamoro Parliament’s role and the specifics of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code for a more inclusive and comprehensive election, it added.
Supporting such polls, the Japanese government committed to provide a grant worth 234 million Japanese Yen or approximately $1.5 million) to the UNDP.
The funding will support a 1.5 year-long project in partnership with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to enhance voters' education and digitalize key election management processes.
It will also address digitalization challenges by partnering with the Comelec to deliver accurate information, encourage voter's registration and build trust in the electoral process through effective communication and transparency.
"By leveraging information and communication technology, the project will contribute to a more inclusive and transparent election, ensuring that BARMM autonomous government is duly elected in a fair and comprehensive manner," the embassy said.
Endo conveyed Japan’s expectation for the Comelec to exert its strong leadership in ensuring the democratic amid challenges that can arise during the elections.
He also pushed for a transparent implementation of the coming and future elections by maximizing the said inputs of the project.