Just last week I discovered that the number of Google searches for  'philippine automated elections', '2010 elections' and other related keywords is so low the figure doesn't even show up on Google's keyword tool.

This simply means very few people or worse no one is interested enough to search about it. I thought that can't be right. Surely, with the elections just a few months away elections should already be in the minds of Filipino voters. I did another search just to make sure but this time using the keyword 2010 automated elections. I was confident the numbers will be more encouraging  after all poll automation remains  a contentious issue in this country. I was wrong.

Now isn't that a little disappointing? Just a bit of background, when I did my keyword search I set the keyword tool in such a way that it would consider searches coming in from all over the world and not just from the Philippines. I did this to account for Filipinos overseas. With such a dismal result, I wondered next what Filipinos search for on the internet. I came up with a random keyword and set the Google keyword tool to get only results from the Philippines. Here's the shocking truth.

And the search result for 'wowowee' from all territories...

No wonder the Philippines is where it's at! Our priorities are all screwed!

I'm making this appeal. If you're a registered voter, please be more interested in the upcoming elections. This is important because we need to be properly informed.There's no way we can come up with informed decisions and choices if we do not read up on the relevant issues. Wowowee is not a relevant issue nor is it this country's way out of the mess it is in.

Now as far as the elections per se is concerned, one specific issue I seriously believe we all need to understand fully is poll automation. As the elections draw near, those against it will certainly step up their efforts to convince us that automated elections will only be used to ensure President Gloria Arroyo will remain in power. In my opinion, this is the most baseless argument there is against poll automation. If you disagree that's okay. I just hope you came up with the conclusion that automation is bad by using your brain and not your emotions.

As a supporter of poll automation, I will do my best to provide you with all the available information there is about this project. I will also try to sell you on the idea that poll automation is in fact a big step forward for this country. All I ask of you is that you keep an open mind. If that's not possible you're free to leave. Go watch your precious Wowowee.