Comelec: Preps for midterm polls in Bicol ‘on track’
By Connie Calipay
LEGAZPI CITY --- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) 5 (Bicol) assured the public on Tuesday that preparations for the May 2025 national and local elections are "on track."
During a press conference at the regional office, Comelec-5 Director Maria Juana Valeza said their readiness covers all needed materials and incidents for election day.
"Right now, we are on track with our preparations. We are 100 percent ready for the day of the elections and do not see any major problems concerning our preparations," she said.
Valeza said the Bicol Region has more than 4 million registered voters across its six provinces.
Internet connectivity
To ensure that remote areas in the region are adequately served, Valeza reported that the commission has conducted a connectivity test and survey.
"We hired a service provider named 'I-Want' to establish Internet connections in areas without signal. Everything will be in place before the elections. In addition to this provider, Starlink will be implemented in 114 towns and cities within the region," she added.
Valeza indicated that the commission, in collaboration with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), would establish a technical hub to address any technical difficulty with the automated counting machines (ACMs).
She also confirmed that the printing of 4 million ballots has been completed, and the arrival of more than 3,000 ACMs is expected by April.
"We are also in coordination with the National Grid Corp. for the electricity during the day. These ACMs will include backup batteries with a lifespan of 14 hours to ensure they transmit the ballots even if a brownout happens," she added.
Classrooms, teachers
Valeza added that training and seminars are ongoing for teachers who will serve on the electoral boards for the upcoming elections.
"Training for teachers in Catanduanes has already been completed, and we are continuing training for teachers from Albay, Camarines Sur, and Camarines Norte," she said.
She also confirmed that classrooms damaged by previous weather disturbances have been repaired, ready to be used as voting precincts.
"We have good news: I reviewed the report, and except for Camarines Sur, all voting precincts in the region are ready, including those that are partially damaged. We are just waiting for the full report from Camarines Sur to confirm its condition," she said. (With a report from Valerie Mae Olaño, OJT/PNA)
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