Eastern Visayas Records 234,000 voter applications for 2026 polls

Posted on May 27, 2026 at 5:05 am

TACLOBAN CITY — Despite talks in Congress about possibly postponing the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, the Commission on Elections said preparations for the November 2 polls are continuing.

Eastern Visayas Comelec Regional Director Atty. Nick Mendros said the poll body will continue its preparations unless a law is passed delaying the elections.

“We cannot stop preparations based on speculation alone,” Mendros said. “As long as there is no law postponing the elections, we must continue fulfilling our mandate.”

In Eastern Visayas, voter registration ended on May 18 with a total of 243,122 applications received. More than 88,000 of these were for the Sangguniang Kabataan, while nearly 38,000 were new regular voters.

Election Registration Board hearings will be held throughout June to finalize the official voters’ list for the barangay elections.

Mendros said election officers across the region are now inspecting polling centers and working on clustering precincts ahead of election day.

Unlike the 2025 national and local elections, which were automated, the barangay polls will be conducted manually. According to Mendros, this creates additional work and expenses for the commission.

To make manual counting more manageable, Comelec plans to reduce the number of voters per clustered precinct from 1,000 to 400.

Mendros explained that lowering the number of voters per precinct means more precincts will have to be opened, which will also increase election expenses.

He said each precinct will require around ₱30,000 for the honoraria of teachers serving on the electoral boards, apart from other operational costs.

“One of the biggest challenges in a manual election is the additional manpower and resources needed,” Mendros said. “More precincts mean more teachers, more election materials, and bigger expenses.”

Comelec has also started coordinating with the Philippine National Police (PNP) in preparation for election security, including identifying areas that may be considered election hotspots based on past records.

Still, Mendros said the political situation in different areas will become clearer only after candidates file their Certificates of Candidacy from September 28 to October 5.

For now, Comelec said preparations for the 2026 Barangay and SK Elections will continue unless Congress passes a law changing the election schedule.

Photo by: Jazmin Bonifacio