"Rock the Vote" works to harness the power of the youth through a series of rock concerts. (kikopangilinan.multiply.com)

We all know that the Filipino youth will play a very crucial role in this coming election.

Voter registration statistics show that more than 50 percent of our voters are between the ages of 18-40 years old. Thus, it is no longer surprising that we have different candidates organizing various activities to try to convince young voters to support them.

In the past elections, young voters have always helped candidates like the late Raul Roco, Chiz Escudero, and Kiko Pangilinan win the national elections.

This coming elections will be no different. The candidate/s who will be able to corner the so-called youth vote will most likely win.

Nearing the tailend of the campaign, the Liberal Party’s Senate campaign team led by Kiko Pangilinan will be launching an aggressive 18-day road show and concert called Rock the Vote: Roadtrip to Change (RTV).

RTV is a concert caravan that will trailblaze through provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays in the country from April 15 to May 3, inspired by the message that the power of change lies in everyone’s willingness to participate. This creative and innovative people power and youth-oriented run will serve as an expression session for different people from various backgrounds such as visual art, music, filmmaking, photography, mountaineering, skateboarding and the like.

RTV will kick off in Pampanga making its way through Northern Luzon and will lead up to major concerts in Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and eventually the People Power Monument in EDSA, Quezon City.

The concerts will feature top bands such as Kamikaze, Parokya ni Edgar, Itchyworms, Hale, Moonstar 88 and Sugarfree who have volunteered their time and talent to help promote the message of reform, change and good governance in our country.

Growing ppower
RTV also aims to harness the growing power of the youth.

“Power should not reside in the hands of a few corrupt leaders but rather it should be ordinary Filipinos like you and me who have been longing for reform and change in our country” said Renan Dalisay, one of the main organizers of RTV.

RTV will also ask the youth to sign-up as volunteers for the campaign and as watchers for election day.

Youth volunteer Leah Del Rosario stressed that this is the time for young Filipinos to make a stand and become active in supporting effective and ethical leaders especially since it is the Filipino youth’s future which is at stake now in this election.

Rock the Vote will visit the provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan Valley, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite and Cebu from April 15-May 3,2010. To volunteer for RTV, you can send an email to leahkatrinadelrosario@gmail.com)

(The author is director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo School of Government.)