“Register anywhere” for voters held in CIT-U

CEBU, Philippines — Aiming for a five-percent nationwide increase in registrants from the previous Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Region 7 held its third session for the Register Anywhere Program (RAP), Satellite Registration, and Voters’ Education at the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) yesterday.

Last February, a similar drive was successfully launched at the University of San Carlos-Talamban Campus and Cebu Doctor’s University for Cebu Province. The same activity is also being conducted in Siquijor, Negros Oriental, and Bohol.

Comelec aims to increase the number of registered voters by 3.3 million with the help of registration fairs and amplifying election information for unregistered voters.

Through the RAP, registrants can conveniently submit their applications if there is a nearby RAP registration site, regardless of their place of residence. In CIT-U, new registrants also huddled at the covered court for voters’ education.

Comelec-7 spokesman Omar Sharif Mamalinta said that the activity aims to disseminate information about voters’ rights and responsibilities.

This will be useful in the upcoming national and local election on May 5, 2025, as it will provide further knowledge about why they should vote for a specific politician.

“Dili lang nato tan-awon nga famous siya or sikat or popular siya na dayong atong botaran, atong tan-awon iyahang plataporma de gobyerno, iyang academic, scholastic achievement nga pwede makaingon ta nga kani pwede angay ni sha ibutang sa kani na position,” Mamalinta said.

Additionally, Mamalinta said that those who haven’t voted from 2022 to 2023 should apply for reactivation at the Comelec office. He said that deactivated voters were informed beforehand via mail and a list of names posted in their barangay.

Meanwhile, Mamalinta said that even if Comelec is open from Monday to Saturday and on holidays, there are still only a few who registered. The registration began on February 12 and will end on September 30, 2024.

“Medyo alarming kay most cases towards the end na mo-flock, naay convergence of applicants. Para malikayan kay we actually encourage them to register ahead of time,” he said.

He further said that the Comelec will also give importance to indigenous people, Persons With Disabilities, senior citizens, and persons deprived of liberty on the day of the election.

Aldrienne C. Cuevas, an 18-year-old senior high school student, said that voters’ education can help guide unregistered voters to become decisive and keen on decision making during the upcoming election.

“It’s important especially to really know the process of it and on what we should be careful of especially in the time where a lot of people have different opinions and social media is so rampant,” she said.

All citizens who reside in the Philippines for a year, and who are 18 years of age or older, and with at least six months residency in the place where they propose to vote, will be allowed to register, even if they are illiterate or have no property.  (CEBU NEWS)