DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) XI is urging the youth and all eligible voters to register for the upcoming Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and Barangay elections (BSKE) up to August 10.
COMELEC is calling on eligible, new, and existing voters who need to process or update their registration to do so from August 1 to 10 at its field offices and satellite centers throughout the region, while awaiting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s final decision whether it will postpone the BSKE supposedly set in 2026.
Speaking at Monday’s press conference, Atty. Gay Enumerables, COMELEC XI Assistant Regional Election Director, said their office will still facilitate the 10-day registration period, especially for first-time voters aged 15 to 17 who will vote in the SK elections.
“For us, the Comelec, we’re mandated to prepare so we set this 10-day registration period. We’re making preparations regardless if this (election) continues or not,” Enumerables explained.
During the 10-day registration period, Enumerables emphasized that COMELEC will not accommodate voters intending to change or transfer their voting locations. However, voters who failed to vote in two consecutive elections may reactivate their registration during this period. Voters who wish to update their registration records will also be accommodated.
COMELEC will provide priority lanes for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), senior citizens, and pregnant women to update their records.
As of August 3, COMELEC XI has already processed 17,783 applications, mostly from first-time voters across the region. In Davao City alone, District 1 has 5,050 applications—2,206 from the first district, 1,725 from the second district, and 1,119 from the third district.
In other provinces, COMELEC logged 3,426 applications in Davao del Sur, 1,770 in Davao Occidental, 3,162 in Davao del Norte, 2,365 in Davao de Oro, and 2,010 in Davao Oriental.
Compared to the previous registration process, Enumerables told the media that they now face challenges in reaching far-flung areas in each province. To address this, COMELEC has implemented a clustering system for barangays and established scheduled satellite registration sites, including in major malls in Davao City.
The region currently has over 3 million registered voters. Atty. Enumerables said they are targeting a one percent increase during the 10-day registration period. Although the target may seem low, she added that “it could be too much considering that the registration is only 10 days.”(davaotoday.com)
