ILOILO City – Western Visayas will have 25,710 electoral boards (formerly known as board of election inspectors) working during the synchronized national and local elections on May 9.
These electoral boards will be spread in 8,570 clustered precincts, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) regional office.
Each clustered precinct will have three persons composing an electoral board – the chairperson and two members.
Here’s the breakdown of the 25,710 electoral boards per provinces:
* Aklan – 2,082
* Antique – 2,382
* Capiz – 2,718
* Guimaras – 630
* Iloilo – 9,180
* Negros Occidental – 8,718
As to the 8,570 clustered precincts, they are spreads in the following provinces:
* Aklan – 694
* Antique – 794
* Capiz – 906
* Guimaras – 210
* Iloilo – 3,060
* Negros Occidental – 2,906
According to Comelec Region 6 assistant director Tomas Valera, electoral boards are mostly made up of teachers, particularly those who have served as board of election inspectors in past elections.
Training actually started on March 1, he revealed.
The trainers are from Comelec and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Among others, the electoral boards are taught now to operate vote counting machines (VCM) and what to do to ensure the safety of everybody in the voting precincts in this time of coronavirus pandemic.
“Minimum public health standards should be enforced,” said Valera.
Under Comelec Resolution No. 10727, the chairperson and members of the electoral boards, the Department of Education Supervising Official (DESO) and their respective support staff and medical personnel shall be entitled to the following honoraria:
* Chairperson of the EB – P7,000
* Members of the EB – P6,000
* DESO – P5,000
* Support Staff – P3,000
* Medical Personnel – P3,000
They are also entitled to anti-COVID-19 allowance of P500, as well as a minimum of five days’ service credit if they are in government service.
The electoral board EB chair, members, DESO and support staff will also receive P2,000 travel allowance — P1,000 on the day of final testing and sealing of the voting machines, and P1,000 on Election Day.
On the other hand, medical personnel will receive P1,000 travel allowance on Election Day./PN
