Philippines’ church-backed election watchdog launches book series on voters’ education

The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), the Church-affiliated election watchdog in the Philippines, launched six books as part of their values development program.

Dubbed “Tibok Pinoy” (Filipino Pulse), the PPCRV unveiled the books on Tuesday, which they said aim to revitalize the Filipino traits of respect, honest, help, patriotic, hardworking, and analytical.

The program was the outcome of the organization’s study among Filipino voters on which characteristics an upstanding citizen should possess.

Ana De Villa-Singson, head of the PPCRV Voters' Education Committee, said that these books could also help address the low educational performance of Filipino students in international assessments.

The books, which contain various illustrations, comics, and exercises, are targeted for children's consumption before they become first-time voters or an audience between 12 to 16 years old.

11 supplement podcasts were also released alongside the books as supplement materials.

“We offer you blended learning through podcasts, stories, exercises, illustrations, and articles found in our books. But above all, we offer a chance to examine yourself and measure yourself against the characteristics of a Model Filipino,” said De Villa-Singson in her message on the organization’s website.

Meanwhile, PPCRV Chairman Evelyn Singson stressed that the Church and other faith-based organizations must serve as “moral guardians” to guide every citizen in a democratic society on embracing their right to vote.

“When the qualities of the voters improve, the qualities of the leaders they elect will likewise improve,” said Singson on the organization’s website.

Present during the book launch is Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

The prelate reminded to use the term “empowerment of voters” instead of simply “education.”

"In the Diocese of Kalookan, there has been a lot of reaction to the term voter's education. There are people who are reacting to elitists to say that the poor need education," Bishop David shared.

The books and podcasts were conceptualized in partnership with the Communication Foundation for Asia (CFA) and are set to be distributed to schools and educational institutions across the country.

The books’ soft copies and podcasts are available for free on the PPCRV’s official website.

During the book launch, PPCRV also signed a partnership with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP, Association of Broadcasters in the Philippines) to uphold a clean and honest midterm election in May 2025.

The PPCRV was founded in 1991 after the Second Plenary Council in the Philippines called for reforms in how elections were conducted.

Since 2010, the non-partisan group has been the citizens’ arm of the Commission on Elections, responsible for poll watching and legal assistance for voters.