In alignment with its institutional commitment to democratic governance, civic engagement, and public accountability, the Cordillera Career Development College (CCDC) Student Services Office spearheaded a Voter’s Education Program and multi-sectoral candidates’ forum in preparation for the May 2025 local and senatorial elections. The program activities serve as neutral platforms and safe spaces for political stakeholders, voters, and youth in order to foster active participation, combat misinformation, and promote peaceful, transparent, and inclusive societies.
To equip students and community members with the critical thinking skills necessary for informed choices, CCDC initiated a series of structured educational programs:
- “Your Vote, Your Power” Student Seminar (January 24, 2025): Attended by 180 senior high school and college students at the CCDC Tongtongan Hall, this initial activity focused on wise voting and the mechanics of the electoral process. In partnership with COMELEC-CAR, the program featured participatory demonstrations on manual voting procedures, interactive sessions on voting rights, and critical discussions on combating vote-buying. Students were encouraged to independently research candidates’ past actions and platforms.
- Good Governance and Electoral Forum (March 15, 2025): Hosted at the Admirals Gym and attended by students and school employees, this event focused on good governance as a cornerstone of effective leadership. The program was graced by prominent legal and institutional figures, including COMELEC-Benguet Provincial Supervisor Atty. Elenita Julia Tabangin-Capuyan, College of Law Professor Atty. Miller Quintin, CCDC Community Legal Aid Center Office Manager Atty. Czarinah Rose Gumpic, College of Accountancy Dean Domingo Bay-an, and CCDC President Dr. Sherry Junette Malaya-Tagle. Discussions tackled electoral procedures, the history of barangay and SK elections, and the fundamental right to vote, culminating in a mock election conducted in coordination with the Cordillera Bulletin.
CCDC likewise co-organized ‘Saludsud ti Umili’, a major candidates’ forum held on April 11, 2025, for local elective positions in La Trinidad, Benguet.
As a collaborative sanctuary established to guide the community toward clean and well-informed elections, the forum was organized by CCDC alongside San Jose – The Husband of Mary Parish – La Trinidad, COMELEC – La Trinidad, and the Mountain Province Broadcasting Corporation (DZWT 540). It was further supported by a broad coalition of institutional partners, including the Municipal Police Office of La Trinidad, regional quasi-parishes (Central Ambiong, La Trinidad, Tomay, and Sablan), Benguet State University (BSU), and the Baguio Tomay Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (BATJODA).
This multi-sectoral partnership successfully provided a safe, educational, and neutral environment where the people of La Trinidad gathered to listen, examine, and critically engage local political aspirants regarding their public platforms, development agendas, and visions for the community’s future. Through these initiatives, CCDC effectively fulfilled its mandate under SDG 16.3.4, providing a trusted platform for open dialogue and democratic accountability.
