Yo!Noy

WITH HIS prolific lineage as his pillars, signature yellow ribbons as armor, and “Laban!” as the battle cry, Noynoy Aquino not only has been granted a great advantage in the game through the state-wide mourning of his mother’s passing, he also has got quite the campaign arsenal. His supporters are determined to spread the yellow fever—and Yo!Noy in particular, has got their eyes set on the youth.

Yo what?

Youth for Noynoy or Yo!Noy, is a group headed by Bam Aquino, a direct relative of the Presidential candidate. Since March, its aim is to delegate and distribute area managers (also called area maNOYgers) to activate smaller scale groups into action, give them ample training through seminars, so that they can eventually work on their own.

“We want people to become more involved [in the campaign],” says Billy Santos, an Ateneo alumnus who is a core member of the team. Through the latter parts of the campaign, giving flyers, door-to-doors and plastering stickers are just some of the activities they do as they gear up for the last stretch of the election season.

“We educate them about Noynoy so that they know who they are supporting,” Billy says.

Volunteerism

The movement is fueled by the currency of its volunteers, and solely relies on people who willingly sign up and jump on in the Noynoy train. “We don’t pay the people to handle things,” Billy says.

And while there have been many situations where more than half of the volunteers don’t show up, Billy notes that this happens all the time, because of the nature of their cause.

“We can’t force people,” he says.

People Power

While education is one of the presidential candidates’ top priorities, Yo!Noy is also pushing for the youth’s increased involvement in the government. They believe that people aren’t really involved in the system, and that everyone ought to remember that the government exists for them.

“We want the people to be empowered,” Billy says.

Though the question remains if Noynoy can pull off an Obama—that is translate the graphic prowess and campaign extravaganza into votes, one thing is clear to Yo!Noy: “[Noynoy] represents bringing the government back to the people,” he says.