UNIVERSITY OF MAKATI

HIGHER SCHOOL NG UMAK

Senior High School Preference In

Choosing Government Officials In 2022 Election

Diana Marie Ilejay

Jonel Russel Medina

Cresia Nicole Diamante

Kate Perez

Judy Funtaniel

Arianne Manuel
Chapter 1: The Problem and It’s Background

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………

Background of the Study………………………………………………………….

Conceptual Framework……………………………………………………………

Statement of the Problem…………………………………………………………

Significance of the Study………………………………………………………….

Scope and Delimitations…………………………………………………………..

Definition of terms………………………………………………………………….
 CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Over the years, perceptions about choosing government officials have been challenging and

controversy over preferences has become more evident. Selecting a leader is among the most

important milestones in anyone's life since they influence the country's and people's futures, and

thus have a significant impact on their entire life. Furthermore, selecting a suitable candidate has

an impact on students' enthusiasm and commitment. Voting is a major responsibility and those

that do not vote are failing to carry out a civic responsibility. It will not be a simple process. It

entails a difficult decision-making process. It involves a complex interplay of many factors. The

factors influencing their choice, such as the front-reputation, runner's transparency, credentials,

and character, are critical in guiding them to more appropriate decisions. The importance of

acknowledging the perceptions of senior high school students will create a big difference in the

upcoming elections for the betterment of the country. Elections are a crucial opportunity to

advance the democratic process and encourage political liberalization. Political beliefs of Senior

High School students are essential.

Electing is a method for a group in order to make a collective decision or express an

opinion usually following discussions, debates, or election campaigns. The 1935 Philippine

general election was the first general election of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. This was
also the first direct election of the President of the Philippines. and Vice President of the

Philippines positions created by the 1935 constitution. Furthermore, members of the National

Assembly of the Philippines, which replaced the Philippine Legislature were elected. Today,

millions of senior high school students are expressing their preferences in the upcoming elections

on May 9, 2022. In the Philippine election, 77 national positions will be up for grabs, including 1

president, 1 vice president, 12 senators, and 63 party-list representatives. The time for filling out

certificates of candidacy for the 2022 Philippine elections runs from October 1 to October 8,

2021. There were a total of 572 certificates of candidacy filed for national positions from

October 1 to 8, according to the Commission on Elections. For the 2022 election, the presidential

candidates are Ernesto Abella, Leody de Guzman, Norberto Gonzales, Panfilo Lacson, Faisal

Mangondato, Bongbong Marcos, Jose Montemayor Jr., Isko Moreno, Manny Pacquiao, and Leni

Robredo. The vice presidential candidates are Walden Bello, Tito Sotto, Carlos Serapio, Sara

Duterte, Rizalito David, Willie Ong, Lito Atienza, and Francis Pangilinan.

The upcoming elections have had such a serious influence on the Filipino people. Even

the unregistered electorate began to discuss and embrace the issue. Some engaged in heated

arguments, and because of their varying political perceptions, advocates of each frontrunner have

been debating whether or not to provide facts and opinions on their side since the campaign

season began. Whether or not you are a voter, this situation has now become an issue. The

importance of leading this study is significant because knowing the various points of view of

students can be extremely beneficial. Senior high students frequently contribute to the situation

by sharing their knowledge and opinions via social media platforms. They are citizens concerned
about how the Philippines will be handled, not voters. Politics seems to be more prevalent

nowadays than it was previously. It is widely mentioned among peers, at school, and at home.

Nowadays, most youths are very politically engaged, and they all have different

perspectives on the upcoming elections. Some are first-time voters, while others are not yet

prepared to vote, but everyone's voice counts. According to Robert Shapiro, public opinion and

policy-making are essential to a democracy, which is linked to electoral accountability, which

means that the elected leader will not deviate far from voters' opinion. When analyzing the

opinion-policy effect, other variables to consider include the size of the majority public, election

cycle time, degree of electoral competition, and issue type. Politicians can be popular with the

public if their public relations efforts are successful. A politician can succeed in public relations

by listening to public opinion and aligning their actions with the collective will of voters. The

people's choices are important because they help to determine who will be the next state official

to govern them. The overall goal of this study is to identify Senior High School students'

preferences in selecting government officials in the 2022 elections. This will allow the

researchers to draw conclusions and understand the significance of selecting a leader. This study

will serve as a guide and provide data on students’ preferences in electing government officials

in the nearing election.

To put things into perspective, it is critical to look into the various student preferences,

especially now that the election is nearing. Choosing a good leader based on the appropriate

preferences of the citizens is vital because it influences everybody's future. Recognizing

appropriate perceptions will make a significant difference in the upcoming years. Is it now true
that different beliefs affect everyone, including students? Thereby, this research study is

conducted.

Conceptual Framework

This research aims to know and study the preferences of senior high school students in choosing

government officials in the 2022 election. Figure 1 shows the connection between the

independent and dependent variables. The independent variables include the personal data of the

senior high school students of the Higher School ng Umak, such as age, gender, strand and

religion. The dependent variables show the preference of senior high school students in choosing

their preferred candidate in the upcoming 2022 election. The independent variables can be

associated with the dependent variable. For example, the candidate's political background may

influence a student's decision to vote for a government official. For instance, some students

prefer a candidate with more experience in public service, whereas others prefer a candidate with

less experience but who has already proven himself/herself. The age of a student can be linked to

their mentality, awareness, and maturity level when it comes to selecting a candidate. Gender is

associated with student preference and belief in choosing a candidate. For instance, women are

more likely to vote for a candidate who is more supportive of gay rights and "women’s issues"

such as equal rights and abortion. On the other hand, males are more likely to support a

candidate who is more focused on the military and the war on drugs. Although these do not apply

to all, most of the time, they are defined by these stereotypes. The student's strand may also

influence his or her preference for a candidate. In general, a student whose strand is more aligned
in math and science has less knowledge in candidate selection than a student whose strand is

more aligned in political and social science. Religious beliefs also have a significant impact on

the selection of a government official candidate. We are most likely to support a candidate who

has the support of the church. For example, because of our religious beliefs, we vote for a

candidate who opposes the death penalty.

The figure below shows the schematic diagram of the conceptual framework of the study.

FIGURE 1. THE RESEARCH PARADIGM SHOWING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN

THE DEPENDENT AND INDEPENDENT VARIABLES.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to recognize Senior High school students' preferences for the upcoming 2022

elections, which will determine who will hold the seats of power in the Philippines. It sought to

answer the following questions in particular:

1. What is the demographic profile of students in terms of:

1.1 Age

1.2 Gender

1.3 Strand

2. What qualities must government candidates possess in order for Senior High School students

to vote for them?

3. What factors influence the selection of government candidates?

4. Is there a significant difference in the preferences of Senior High students for Government

Officials classified according to:

4.1 Voters

4.2 Non-voters

4.3 Unregistered voters

Significance of the Study

According to Robert Shapiro, public opinion and policy-making are essential to a

democracy, which is linked to electoral accountability, which means that the elected leader will

not deviate far from voters' opinion. When analyzing the opinion-policy effect, other variables

to consider include the size of the majority public, election cycle time, degree of electoral

competition, and issue type. Politicians can be popular with the public if their public relations
efforts are successful. A politician can succeed in public relations by listening to public opinion

and aligning their actions with the collective will of voters. The purpose of this study is to learn

about the preferences of Senior High School students in selecting government officials in the

upcoming election. Its goal is to recognize the respondents' viewpoint and judgment when

selecting and voting for government officials, regarding what platform the candidates provide,

how the candidates will effectively address their future position, and how they will handle the

people's worries and issues. This study will benefit the following individuals and fields:

Frontrunners. Front-runners or candidates for government positions will benefit from

this study because they can use it as a basis for determining whether or not they fit the

preferences of students, and they can use it as an advantage in both winning and campaigning.

Furthermore, if the front-runners do not match the preferences of Senior High School students,

they can improve.

Country. Every vote and every voice matter when it comes to serving the country,

Philippine elections is a controversial event where every politicians are obsessed with power. As

Senior High students, our voices matter because we will be subject to the ruling of the people's

choice leader. Non-voters' and voters' voices must be heard so that the country can carry out its

responsibilities and serve us.

Students. In this study, students will learn to know how to properly decide in choosing a

candidate. This will also make students more knowledgeable about the election being held, so

that when they reach the voting age, they will already be set to vote.
 Citizens. The importance of this study to citizens is that the results may serve as an eye-

opening instrument for them, allowing them to better understand the process of selecting

government in the upcoming elections.

Researchers. This study will assist student researchers in becoming aware of and

knowledgeable about selecting the right leader among government officials. It would assist them

in gaining knowledge and could serve as a future reference for further studies, particularly for

students in the Higher School of UMAK. It will also allow future researchers to develop

independent critical thinking skills and ideas for selecting the right government officials to

govern them.

Scope and Delimitations of the Study

The study was carried out to ascertain the preferences of Senior High school students at the

University of Makati in selecting government officials in the upcoming 2022 elections. The

study aims to learn their opinion and judgment when selecting government officials, such as

what platform the candidates provide, how the candidates will properly handle their future

position, and how they will handle people's problems and concerns. The demo graphical profile,

the front-reputation, the runner's transparency, credentials, and character were all considered.

The grounded theory research design would be used in this study. Surveys are one of the tools
 that will be used to conduct the research. This research will be very beneficial to the candidates

as well as the respondents.

Definition of Terms

KEY TERMS TO BE DEFINED CONCEPTUAL OPERATIONAL

Civic Responsibility Civic Responsibility is defined as Refers to the active participation

the "responsibility of a citizen" It of the citizens in the public for

is comprised of actions and the community, it is an an

attitudes associated with informed, committed, and

democratic governance and constructive manner, with a focus

social participation. *(Definition on the common good, one

from Dictionary.com ) example for it is voting for

political elections.

Elections A formal and organized choice It is the way of the Filipino

by vote of a person for a political people on choosing or voting

office or other position. who they want to put in different

*(Definition from Oxford political positions.

Languages)

Electorate It is all the people in a country or It is all of the Filipinos that are
 area who are entitled to vote in legally ready to vote in election.

an election.*(Definition from

Oxford Languages)

Frontrunner The contestant that is leading in a It is the candidates who are

race or other competition. running for different government

*(Definition from Oxford positions.

Languages)

Philippine Legislature The Philippine Legislature was It replaced the National

the legislature of the Philippines Assembly of the Philippines

from 1907 to 1935, during the which was the first national

American colonial period, and legislative body fully chosen by

predecessor of the current elections.

Seats of Power Congress of the It refers to the position in the

Philippines.*(Definition from Philippine Government.

Wikipedia)

It is the position of great

advantage. The commanding

position. (Definitionfrom

thesaurus.com)
 CHAPTER 2:

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE (RRL)

Review of Related Literature and Studies

The following sections describe the types of variables that may influence senior high

school students' preferences. Articles, studies, and trends from both locally and

internationally have been studied in order to better understand how they impact young

adults in the Philippines' impending elections in 2022.

J.F Gosselt & J.J Van Hoof (2020) studied what motivates young individuals to vote, how

personal motivation affects voting intention, and how young adults would deal with their

political trust and personal motivation in voting. The study revealed that the voting

intention of young adults (18-24 years), is potentially influenced by knowledge, behavioral

skills, personal motivation, social motivation, social trust, and political trust. Young people

are highly expected, and they may get more active if they believe their viewpoint is valued.

Between the ages of 18 and 24, Personal motivation is 3.75 of 0.71, while political trust is

3.07 of 0.66, highlighting the gap between Personal motivation and political trust. And The

attitude towards performing the behavior is also a variable that predicts the voting

intention of young adults. This attitude is called personal motivation.

As of the 2016 Philippine election, a total of 900 young adults ages 20-35 were surveyed in

the study by Murcia & Bolo 2016. They are college students taken from four higher

education institutions in Digos City who were reached either personally, through social

media, or approached during the day of the elections. Of the total sample, 50.88% were

females while 49.11% are males. This then concludes that Experience was followed by

education (20.703%) in terms of voting choice in the 2016 election, followed by personality

(18.381%), and priority (17.717%). Candidates influence voters' electoral decisions

because they infer candidate attributes from candidates' personalities and physical

characteristics.

R.D. Holmes (2016), citing the findings of the International IDEA (International Institute

of Democracy and Electoral Assistance) from 1945 to 2010. indicates that a sizeable
majority of Filipinos vote, ranging from 64 percent in 2007 to 90 percent in 1987. The

International IDEA database also shows that the average turnout in Philippine legislative

and presidential elections from 1945 to 2010 was slightly higher at 78.4 percent and 77.8

percent. In the same report. then the Asian average of 70.8 percent and 75.6 percent.

In a report for insight from the Pinoy barometer on the youth vote, the AIM policy center

(2014) noted that Filipino young voters 18-24 years old of a relatively estimated 25.52

million for the upcoming 2022 election. In the same report, it is stated that The young have

a significant influence on the next elections in 2022 and are capable of exercising their right

to vote.

Elections and Voting Behavior

Elections are the process of electing someone to be their political leader or representative in

government. Elections serve as a "major source of political recruitment, a means of making

government and transferring government power, a guarantee of representation, and a

major determinant of government policy" (Heywood, 2000: 200). In a democracy, the right

to vote is the primary means by which most citizens can influence decisions about how their

country is governed.

Elections are primarily concerned with those who have the right to vote and those who

wish to be elected. Elections and representation have four elements. First, consider why

and how the availability of candidates or parties varies across elections and countries.

Before the election, political parties must decide whether to enter the race on their own,

participate in some form of pre-election coordination, or stay out. Second, once a party
decides to enter, it must define its campaign strategies in order to influence voters'

decisions, which includes selecting policy positions, defining the salience of issues,

allocating resources, and selecting candidates. Third, citizens must decide whether or not to

vote, and those who vote must select a political party. Finally, citizen preferences are

compiled and converted into seats in order to form a government. The Commission on

Elections was established by a 1940 amendment to the 1935 Constitution.

The 1973 and 1987 Constitutions expanded its membership and powers. The Commission

has both administrative and judicial and quasi-judicial powers. The Philippines has a

multi-party system in which no single party has a chance of gaining power on its own, and

parties must work together to form a coalition government. The elections are overseen by

the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

Youth Engagement on Elections

According to the study made by oecd.orga in 2019, active and engaged young people can be

a source of government innovation and improved service. By encouraging youth to

participate in open government initiatives, government can create a positive impact on

personal level and with regard to the overall development of new, innovative industries and

initiatives whilst young people can provide governments with fresh ideas and approaches

and ensure the policy outcomes are responsive to the concerns of young people. Also,

according to the result of the survey made by J. Tisch in 2020, there is a strong and

consistent relationship between young people’s self-reported high school experiences with
voter education and encouragement, and their interest/engagement in civic participation

later in life.

Young people want information as elections loom. Given that social media use is almost

universal for this age group, there is an opportunity to responsibly share information

through their preferred social media and networks. Youth (Senior High School students)

have the right, the skills and the numbers to “make a difference” in government and

society. Decision-makers would be wise to meaningfully engage with young people and

acknowledge the importance of their voices, energy and vision to a healthy democracy.

Youth have the potential to significantly impact the outcome of elections. Strategies that

encourage their participation can help further their influence. Youth should be consulted

during the development of party platforms, and advise politicians on strategies that will

reach their peers. Youth advisory councils for political candidates would also help make

campaigns more engaging to youth. Barriers to youth participation should also be

addressed. Like adults, youth report lack of time as their No. 1 reason for not voting.

Unlike adults, however, their second most common reason for failing to cast a ballot is a

lack of information about the candidates and issues, perhaps because they get information

primarily from social media. The United Nations Convention gives the youth the right to

informed decision-making, which means that adults are legally obligated to educate them,

this includes, for example, laws and requirements about school rules, health care and

education. Adults must explain these issues, consult with youth and take their views into

account (J. Adetunji, 2018).

 CHAPTER 3:

METHODOLOGY

Research design

This study will use a qualitative research design. Qualitative research provides an

understanding of a situation or phenomenon that tells the story rather than determining cause and

effect (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2003; Glesne, 1999). Qualitative research aims to explore the

meanings and perspectives of the people being studied therefore this approach will be used to

conduct this study which aims to seek how senior high school students choose government
officials to lead the country and what are the factors affecting their preferences and if there are

differences between the voters, non-voters and the unregistered voters. Interviewing the variables

using Google forms and observations will be done to gather information.

Population and sampling Procedure

The study is conducted by G11-03 Humanities and Social Sciences Students.The researchers will

employ Purposive sampling, in which a non-probability sample is chosen depending on the

characteristics of a community and the study's purpose. Senior High School students at the

University of Makati would be the target as responders.

The researchers aim to obtain fifty (50) respondents from the population of Senior High school

students. Student's preferences will be described using the google forms for assessing their total

in the survey.

Research Locale

This study was conducted at the University of Makati's Higher School Ng UMak (HSU), located

at J.P Rizal Ext. Makati, Metro Manila. The University of Makati (UMak) is a public, locally

funded university of the local government of Makati, it was one of the first universities in the

Philippines to pilot the Senior High School Modelling Program of the Department of Education

in 2012 and it is called the Higher School Ng UMak (HSU). HSU provides academic programs
that incorporate the development of character through a series of lectures, drills, and

performance tests. It accommodates Grade 11 and grades 12 students respectively. HSU offers

many courses/tracks that the student wants to study, these are the academic track, arts and design

track, and technological-vocational livelihood track.

Research Instrument

The researcher will use an instrument to collect the needed data. Part I of the instrument sought

the respondent's personal information. Part II includes ten (10) possible questions to determine a

senior high school student's preference in selecting a government official.

The researcher will conduct a pretest with ten (10) respondents prior to the actual data collection.

The ten respondents will be drawn from the population of Grade 11-03 HUMSS students at

Higher School ng UMAK. The researcher will review the respondents, and the instrument will be

improved based on the results of the pre-test. The researcher will then identify students aged

eighteen (18) and up who will vote in the upcoming election. The instrument will be distributed

to the appropriate student via Google Form once the voters for the upcoming election have been

identified.

Data Gathering and procedure

The questionnaire that the researchers created was distributed virtual because of the pandemic

that we experienced today. The questionnaire was distributed via an online form to the
University of Makati students of Senior High School Grade 11 & 12 with the assurance that the

data gathered are kept confidential to give respect to the research respondents. The researchers

made sure that the respondents are not forced to answer the interview and that they are available

when the interview was done. The researchers will provide a letter stating that the researchers are

allowed to conduct an interview to the students.