At least nearly 30 percent of the midterm voters are 18 to 29 years old, so a poll watchdog encouraged the youth to participate in the upcoming midterm election, as it could shape the country’s trajectory in the coming years.

Held during an event led by the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, the National Head of Voter’s Education of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), Ana Singson, encouraged the young scouts to exercise their political rights by voting for proper candidates, as it could “make them a hero.”

“Never think of yourselves as just the future generation—we need your hope, passion, and ideals now. Because, sadly, sometimes as we grow older, we forget those ideals. But the youth still carries them,” Singson said.

The PPCRV official also encouraged the young scouts to look for a candidate who has grit and a “never give up attitude,” so that some of the national problems, such as traffic and floods, can be solved.

Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia also attended the event, where he urged the scouts to carefully consider a candidate’s qualifications when making their choice.

“Candidates should not be elected just because they are popular on social media, television, or radio — or because they make jokes that discriminate against women or demean others based on their status,” Garcia said in his speech.

In an ambush interview, Garcia said that the election commission has sent “several” show-cause orders to different local candidates following the discriminatory jokes in their local caucuses.

With the midterm elections less than 20 days away, Garcia said the Comelec is already at least 95 percent ready, noting that ballots are being distributed to far-flung provinces and that major preparations have been completed.