VOTER REGISTRATIONS. Commission on Elections (Comelec) regional director for Bicol, lawyer Maria Juana Valeza (in brown jacket), chats with elderly voters at Rawis Elementary School in Legazpi City in this Oct. 30, 2023 photo. Valeza on Tuesday (May 7, 2024) said they have accepted 110,582 various types of applications since the start of voter registration from Feb. 12 to May 4 this year. (Photo from Maria Juana Valeza's Facebook page)
LEGAZPI CITY – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Bicol has accepted 110,582 applications since the start of the voters' registration from Feb. 12 to May 4, this year.
In an interview on Tuesday, Maria Juana Valeza, Comelec-Bicol regional director, said among the applications their offices received were new and transfer registration, reactivation, change or correction of entries in voter's record, and transfer of registration from foreign post to local.
"Different programs of Comelec like the 'register anywhere' and 'special satellite registration' really helped our fellow Bicolanos to register, and update their records. This is a good indication that they want to participate in the upcoming May 2025 national and local elections," she said.
Valeza said she already instructed different election officers in the region to find a bigger area and venue for the start of filing of candidacy in October, as part of their preparation for the upcoming elections.
"We also started to visit schools and inventory of teachers who are willing to serve for the May 2025 elections. Our office also started to prepare for the procurement of materials needed for the national and local polls," she added.
Valeza said they also started coordination with the Philippine National Police to ensure the security of their personnel, records, and offices for safe, clean, and honest elections.
"We are anticipating a rise in the number of voters by 200,000 to 250,000 who will take part in the upcoming elections. As of last year, we had a total of 3,918,170 registered and active voters, but by May 2025, we estimate that there will be over four million voters in Bicol," she added. (PNA)
