ILOILO – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Western Visayas braces for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) beginning Sept. 28 for the Nov. 2 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
More than 4.2 million registered regular and SK voters across the region are expected to participate in the grassroots elections, which will use manual voting.
Comelec-6 regional election director Atty. Dennis Ausan said election offices across the region are already preparing for the expected influx of aspirants for barangay and youth council positions during the eight-day COC filing period from Sept. 28 to Oct. 5.
“We are not thinking of any resetting or postponement right now; preparations are in full swing at all levels,” Ausan said.
Comelec-6 urged prospective candidates to prepare their documents early and ensure they meet the eligibility requirements before filing their COCs with their respective municipal or city election offices.
Candidates for punong barangay and barangay kagawad must be registered voters and at least 18 years old on Election Day.
SK candidates, meanwhile, must be between 18 and 24 years old. While those aged 15 to 30 are eligible to vote in SK elections, only individuals within the 18-to-24 age bracket may run for SK positions.
The filing of COCs will kick off a series of key election activities.
The official election period and nationwide gun ban will run from Oct. 3 to Nov. 9, while the authorized 10-day campaign period will be from Oct. 22 to Oct. 31.
Campaigning will be prohibited on Nov. 1, the eve of the elections, when the nationwide liquor ban will also take effect.
Voting on Nov. 2 will be conducted manually from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Comelec-6 records as of June 1, 2026 showed 3,142,243 registered regular voters across 3,389 barangays in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo.
Iloilo has the largest number with 1,649,653 registered voters, followed by Capiz with 544,622; Aklan, 417,387; Antique, 404,557; and Guimaras, 126,024.
The region also has 1,104,427 registered SK voters, including 572,056 in Iloilo; 195,065 in Capiz; 147,725 in Antique; 146,733 in Aklan; and 42,848 in Guimaras.
Unlike national and local elections that use automated voting machines, the BSKE will employ manual voting, requiring voters to handwrite the names of their preferred candidates on official paper ballots.
Comelec-6 thus reminded candidates to make sure their registered names are clearly communicated to voters during the campaign period.
Ausan said the regional office is also awaiting final instructions from the Comelec central office for the electoral boards before training teachers who will serve during the elections.
“At this stage, we are just waiting for final guidance from Comelec regarding the general instructions for the conduct of elections—specifically, the general instructions for the electoral boards. Once we receive those specific guidelines, they will serve as the basis for our training of teachers, so we are waiting for that,” Ausan stressed./PN
