ILOILO City – Voter registration across Western Visayas was suspended yesterday, February 20, after all election officers from Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Iloilo province, and Iloilo City gathered here for the inauguration of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Integrated Field Office Region 6.
The temporary halt in registration affected applicants throughout Region 6 as election personnel attended the formal opening of the new four-storey Comelec facility at the Iloilo City Government Complex in Barangay Taal, Molo district.
Voter registration resumes this February 21.
The newly inaugurated building consolidates three major Comelec units under one roof — the regional office, the Iloilo Provincial Election Office, and the Iloilo City Election Office — in a move aimed at streamlining operations and improving public access to election services ahead of future electoral activities.
The Comelec Region 6 office began occupying the third floor of the facility on February 6. The Iloilo Provincial Election Office transferred on February 12, followed by the Iloilo City Election Office on February 14.
The fourth floor has been designated as a multi-purpose area and will include a small dormitory intended for Comelec personnel, particularly those deployed for election-related duties.
Comelec Region 6 director Atty. Dennis Ausan said the consolidation is expected to significantly reduce processing time and make transactions more convenient for the public.
He noted that with the three offices operating in one location, the new facility will function as a “one-stop shop” for clients seeking election services, from voter-related concerns to administrative transactions.
Prior to the transfer, both the Iloilo Provincial and Iloilo City election offices were renting space at the Angeles Arcade Building along Mabini Street in Barangay Osmeña, Iloilo City./PN
