voted!

was lucky because it was a breeze. line was short and efficient, we have our list, ballot was accepted on first try. now will monitor. :)

just to value how important this right is, read below the struggle of Filipinas in the right to suffrage.

Here is our herstory on voting:

Jan. 15, 1907
Our first election law was Act No. 1582 which took effect on Jan. 15, 1907. At that time, the right of suffrage was limited to male citizens 23 years of age or over with legal residence in the Philippines. Women were not allowed to vote for they were regarded as mere extension of the personality of their husbands or fathers, and that they were not fit to participate in the affairs of the government. (Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno, in his Separate Opinion in Macalintal v. Comelec, July 10, 2003).

Even our 1935 Constitution limited the right of suffrage to male citizens.

April 30, 1937
However, recognizing the strong call and clamor made by women’s groups at that time for equality between men and women in the exercise of the right of suffrage, the framers of the Constitution decided to leave the issue of women suffrage for the women to decide. Hence, a provision was included in the 1935 Constitution to extend the right of suffrage to Filipino women on condition that “not less than 300,000 women possessing the necessary qualifications shall vote affirmatively” in a plebiscite on the question of women suffrage.

Firm resolve
Inspired by and confident of the “unalterable righteousness” of their cause, these women of the ’30s made bold their commitment and showed their firm resolve to obtain the required number of votes that would pave the way for their participation in government affairs. They strongly argued that “women suffer penalties and are summoned before the courts of law” and are made “to pay taxes” under the laws which “they had no voice in making.” In unison, they made clear their point that “Taxation without representation is tyranny.”

Women Suffrage Day
And so on April 30, 1937, the date set for the said plebiscite, a total of 447,725 women cast their votes in favor of woman suffrage. And since then and up to the present, the dynamism and heroism of these 447,725 women have paved the way for Filipino women’s right to participate in public and political affairs and made known the existence of Women Power.

March 29, 1984
Former President Ferdinand E. Marcos issued Proclamation No. 2346 declaring April 30 of every year as “Woman Suffrage Day” to enable the Filipino women to “renew their advocacy and support for clean, honest and free elections and pursue with greater zeal their efforts towards this direction.”

source: Inquirer.net

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thanks to the

447,725 Filipinas of 1937!

i owe them the smudge on my index finger now.
sniff. sniff. =)