By NELJOY N. GALIGAO
ILOILO City — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has opened a nearly nine-month nationwide voter registration period for the May 2028 national and local elections, urging eligible voters across Western Visayas to register early and avoid the last-minute rush that traditionally overwhelms election offices.
Registration officially resumed Tuesday, November 10, and will continue until July 30, 2027, under Comelec Resolution No. 11294.
Iloilo City Election Officer IV Atty. Pinky Jevini Tentativa urged qualified residents to take advantage of the extended registration period rather than wait until the deadline, when election offices typically experience long queues and heavy congestion.
The registration drive covers first-time voters, including those who will turn 18 on or before the May 8, 2028 elections.
Comelec is also accepting applications for reactivation of deactivated voter records, transfer of registration, correction of entries, change of names, reinstatement and transfer from overseas voting posts to local precincts.
Applications may be filed at city and municipal Offices of the Election Officer, designated mall and satellite registration centers, and through the Register Anywhere Program (RAP) and Special Register Anywhere Program (SRAP).
Comelec-6 reminded applicants to present valid identification documents, including passports, Philippine National IDs, driver’s licenses, NBI clearances, police clearances and postal IDs.
Students may present their current school IDs or official school library cards.
Barangay certifications and community tax certificates, or cedulas, will not be accepted as proof of identity.
Meanwhile, the registration drive comes amid changes to the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) election calendar following the enactment of Republic Act No. 12326.
Signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on September 24, 2026, the law extended the terms of barangay and SK officials from four to five years and rescheduled their elections to November 2028.
The Supreme Court subsequently upheld the law’s constitutionality, dismissing a petition filed by election lawyer Romulo Macalintal.
Incumbent barangay and SK officials will remain in office until their successors are elected and qualified./PN
