2-day training for PCOS operators starts today

CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Elections in Cebu City will start today the training of 1,148 public school teachers who will serve as Board of Election Inspectors so they will know how to operate the Precinct Count Optical Scan machines during the May 13 local and national elections.

Cebu City North District Elections Officer Marchel Sarno said the teachers will be required to attend a two-day training seminar by batches of 50 to 100.  After the training they will be asked to undergo examinations to be supervised by the personnel of the Department of Science and Technology. 

Sarno said the policy is that for every BEI three-member team there should be one who passed the examination and is considered “DOST certified”.  He or she shall be the technician of the PCOS machines.

There are 592 clustered precincts of the city’s north and south districts, meaning the Comelec will also use the same number of PCOS machines.  The south district has 46 barangays and 299,388 registered voters, while the north district has 34 barangays and 248,292 voters.

There will be 1,776 BEI members serving during election day.  Each three-man team is composed of a chairperson, poll clerk and member.

Sarno said only BEI chairpersons and poll clerks are required to attend the two-day training and each of them is entitled to a P1,600 honorarium from the Comelec.

“Kon duol na ang adlaw sa election, mohimo pa g’yud ta og final training sa mga sakop sa BEI aron pagsiguro nga dili gayud sila makalimot sa ilang trabaho gamit ang PCOS aron malikayan ang problema atol sa election day,” Sarno said.

Sarno said the training will be held at the Crown Hotel in the North Reclamation Area. (FREEMAN)