Presidentiables face young leaders on iVote

Youth issues take centerstage as student leaders, young executives and entrepreneurs meet the 2010 Presidential candidates at iVote: The Presidential Youth Dialogue on February 9, from 9 am - 4 pm at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium of the RCBC Plaza, Manila, Philippines. Hosted by Asia Society Philippines, the organizing body of the Philippines 21 Young Leaders Initiative, and IPVG Corporation, iVote aims to present a picture of the presidency as envisioned by the young leaders themselves. The youth comprise almost 60% of the voting population, and are increasingly involved and vigilant on issues relating to electoral politics and the public agenda.

Unlike other presidential fora that take on the debate format, iVote is structured as a dialogue between the 2010 Presidentiables and leaders of the youth sector. Each candidate is allotted a 30-minute session with the audience, first to answer a series of questions based on issues identified with or deemed important by the youth. This will be followed by questions from the audience, and may range from specific policy responses to social issues, to more irreverent questions that reflect the personality and character of the candidates.

iVote recognizes the youth sector's pervasive online presence and penchant for social networking. IPVG will be livestreaming the forum in its entirety, via the Asia Society global website. An edited version of the program will be broadcast by QTV 11 on March 20.

iVote is spearheaded by the Asia Society’s Philippines 21 Young Leaders, the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines, YouthVote Philippines, National Movement of Young Legislators, and other organizations of young leaders.

The event is free and open to the public. To register, please contact Tieza Santos (7524374, tiezas@asiasociety.org.ph) or Patricia Vega (8108983, patriciav@asiasociety.org.ph).

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About Asia Society and Philippines 21 Young Leaders Initiative
Asia Society is the leading global and pan-Asian organization working to strengthen relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders, and institutions of the United States and Asia. One of Asia Society’s key global initiatives is leadership, in particular the development of a core network of the most promising and upcoming leaders across the region through the Asia 21 Young Leaders Initiative and its local counterpart, the Philippines 21 Young Leaders Initiative. The program enables young changemakers to learn from and collaborate with each other on creative solutions to the region’s most pressing social concerns.

Fellows include Cora de Ungria (eminent DNA scientist and 2008 TOWNS awardee), Ivan Henares (heritage advocate and award-winning blogger), Mark Ruiz (co-founder, Microventures, Inc./Hapinoy, WhyNot? Forum), Ching Jorge (Bato Balani Foundation programs head and YouthVote Philippines lead convenor), Jaime Enrique Gonzalez (CEO, IPVG Corp.) and Efren Peñaflorida, Jr. (co-founder, Dynamic Teen Company and 2009 CNN Hero of the Year).

About IPVG Corporation
IPVG is a leading ICT investment company that is publicly listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE Ticker Symbol: IP). Its subsidiaries operate in the following business segments: (i) Communications (IP Services and Internet Security); (ii) Content (On-line gaming and Mobile solutions), and (iii) Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). IPVG presence is established in the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Panama, United Kingdom and USA.

For more information, visit www.ipvg.com.