Comelec, Ayala malls sign pact for mall voting
By Connie Calipay
LEGAZPI CITY --- Residents of a barangay in this city will have a more convenient voting experience in the May elections after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) inked on Friday a memorandum of agreement (MOA) allowing them to cast their ballots at the Ayala Malls Legazpi.
Comelec 5 (Bicol) Director Maria Juana Valeza said the mall would accommodate the 1,016 registered voters of Barangay Lapu-Lapu.
“The MOA signing is part of the continuing commitment of the commission to provide and improve the voting experience of electorates in (the) 2025 national and local elections,” Valeza said.
She also said the Comelec would not spend any amount by putting up a voting precinct as the mall management would cover all expenses.
“Registered voters in Barangay Lapu-Lapu will no longer have to endure the hot and humid environment in the May 2025 national and local elections, where we expect a record heat index to reach 52 degrees,” she said.
She added that for the remote barangays and identified high-risk areas of concern, the Comelec continues to coordinate with law enforcement agencies to ensure safe, orderly, and peaceful elections.
In the 2022 elections, Albay province was one of the areas in the country that participated in the pilot test of mall voting in SM Legazpi City. (with a report from Valerie Mae Olaño and Kryselle Jesa Perez, OJTs/PNA)
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