MANILA, Philippines--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After successfully carrying out the first automated election in the Philippines, Smartmatic today announced the launch of its “Ambassadors for Transparency” initiative to draw attention to the importance of having transparency and public trust in the electoral process. Dayana Mendoza, Miss Universe 2008, who will serve as the first ambassador, traveled to the Philippines to launch the campaign.

The former Miss Universe arrived on Monday, June 14 and over the course of several days met with elected officials, NGOs and with Filipino citizens, as part of the campaign’s main effort to further encourage public support for democratic and fair elections.

Democratic elections are widely recognized by leading institutions such as the United Nations and the Carter Center as essential for establishing the legitimate authority of governments. Therefore, Smartmatic has also launched a public education initiative as part of its “Ambassadors for Transparency” campaign. In an effort to help the next generation of voters understand the importance of civic engagement and transparent elections, Smartmatic made a donation to the Canossa Tondo Children Foundation Inc.

“I am proud to be part of this education initiative and hope that this will lead to more peaceful and transparent elections throughout the world,” said Dayana Mendoza.

As Miss Universe, Mendoza has been an active spokeswoman about social causes such as AIDS prevention and toured around the world participating in humanitarian activities.

Philippine Election Praised By International Community

The first national automated election in the Philippines last month has been widely recognized as the most peaceful, transparent and efficient election in the country’s history. Using Smartmatic’s automated voting solutions, the Filipino people were stunned by an election with significantly reduced times to cast and transmit votes. The result for the first time ever in a presidential election was that the winner was known within 12 hours.

This marked a drastic improvement from all Philippine elections to date where it often took months before the final election results were delivered. In the past, the long delays in election results frequently led to social unrest, disputed results and allegations of fraud.

“The success of the Philippines election clearly demonstrated the impact automated voting can have in creating transparency and trust in the democratic process,” said Antonio Mugica, CEO of Smartmatic. “And we hope our Ambassador for Transparency campaign will lead to even more successful elections and a greater public understanding for the importance of a transparent electoral process.”

International Leaders Applaud The Election Process

The international community and leaders throughout the globe have applauded the recent elections in the Philippines as a model of success and transparency for the country. Below are a few quotes:

In a press statement issued by the White House, US President Barack Obama hailed the May 10 Philippine elections as "a model of transparency and positive testament to the strength and vitality of democracy in the Philippines."

On behalf of the European Union, Alistair MacDonald, EU Ambassador to the Philippines also congratulated the people of the Philippines for carrying out a successful first-ever national automated election, saying: "Our observations suggested that this process was carried out smoothly, and the results transmitted rapidly, in the great majority of cases".

About Smartmatic

Smartmatic is a multinational company that designs and deploys technological solutions aimed at helping governments fulfill, in the most efficient way, their commitments with their citizens. It is one of the largest cutting-edge technology suppliers, with a wide and proven experience in the United States, Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Smartmatic's competitive strength lies in its cutting-edge technology and expertise in three key areas: Election Solutions, Identity Management Solutions and Public Safety Solutions.