ILOILO City – Nearly 7,000 Ilonggos have filed voter registration applications for the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), even as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) simultaneously removed close to 40,000 names from the city’s voters’ list in a sweeping update aimed at ensuring credible grassroots polls.
The twin developments highlight both renewed voter interest and an aggressive effort to cleanse the rolls ahead of the village and youth elections scheduled later this year.
Atty. Pinky Tentativa, Iloilo City election officer, said voter registration, which opened on January 5, has already generated strong public response.
“As of now, we have processed close to 7,000 applicants during the voter registration period from January 5 to February 21, 2026,” Tentativa said.
Registration will continue until May 18, 2026, and election officials expect the numbers to climb further in the coming months.
“We are anticipating more applicants in the coming weeks since voter registration is ongoing. We encourage eligible voters to register early so they can participate in the Barangay and SK elections,” she added.
At the same time, Comelec undertook a significant cleanup of its records, delisting nearly 40,000 voters who either failed to vote in two consecutive elections or were reported deceased.
“Almost 40,000 registered voters were delisted after they failed to vote in two successive elections, while others were removed because they were already deceased,” Tentativa said.
The updating of records continued during the most recent Election Registration Board (ERB) hearing, where 336 new registrants were approved. Tentativa noted that the current figure remains slightly lower than the 330,621 total registered voters recorded as of May 2025.
She also cited earlier registration activity, saying that from October 20 to December 30, 2025, Comelec processed 5,614 additional voter applications.
Tentativa underscored the importance of maintaining an accurate voters’ list to protect the integrity of the barangay and SK polls.
“The continuing voter registration is important so our voters can exercise their right to vote in the upcoming BSKE. We are making sure the voters’ list is updated and accurate,” she said.
With registration ongoing and voter records under review, Comelec Iloilo City is stepping up preparations to ensure broad participation and a clean electoral process in the 2026 BSKE./PN