CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)—Region-wide preparations for the upcoming 2022 National and Local Elections are already underway, an official from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC)-10 confirmed.
COMELEC-10 Regional Elections Director Lawyer Francisco Pobe announced a series of election-related activities to be conducted in provinces and urbanized cities in the region during ‘Talakayan sa PIA,’ February 28. These activities include a peace covenant signing, candidates briefing and forum, and an interfaith rally. COMELEC is also set to conduct a training session for teachers on the management and monitoring of vote counting machines (VCMs) in April.
Pobe said a total of 3.1 million individuals in northern Mindanao have registered to participate in the 2022 elections. On election day, COMELEC will operate a total of 7,000 voting precincts in different provinces of Region 10. These centers will operate from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on election day.
As the country’s first election to be conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pobe said COVID marshals will be stationed in voting centers to maintain minimum public health standards such as temperature checks, wearing of masks, and frequent hand sanitation.
COMELEC will also limit the number of persons allowed per precinct, allowing only five voters and two watchers at a time for every precinct, Pobe added.
Measures to mitigate the effects of possible power interruptions or loss of internet connectivity will also be employed by COMELEC on May 9. Pobe said in the event of a power outage, the VCMs provided on-site are able to run on battery power throughout the entire election day.
For areas that have poor internet connectivity, COMELEC will provide Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) units to ensure the continuous transmission of voting results via a satellite module.
On matters of security, COMELEC-10 will coordinate with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to ensure the safety and security of election officers, staff, and the general public. Pobe added that appropriate measures for election ‘hotspots’ or areas of concern will be determined during the 3rd Regional Joint Security Control Center in March.
In ensuring a successful election, Pobe called on Filipinos to exercise their right to vote wisely saying, “Sa atong mga botante, maghinaut ko nga atong gamiton atong kinakusgan ug sagrado nga katungod mao na ang pagbotar sa atong mga napili nga kandidato,” (To our voters, I hope that we will use our powerful and sacred right to vote our chosen candidates). (GDA/PIA-10)
