NOW THEY CAN VOTE.
Voter-applicants laud Comelec for holding satellite registration in mall
An offsite registration in a Cebu City mall gives Elmer Ramonida and Jennyvie Layao of Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City a chance to sign up, a process that their babies seemed to enjoy as well.
HUNDREDS of Cebu City residents hit one of the local malls yesterday not to shop but to register as voters for next year’s elections.
Saying it is relatively convenient, they thanked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for hold- ing a satellite registration at Robinson’s Cybergate located near the Funte Osmeña Rotunda.
“Maayo man gud diri kay di init. Nakasuway man gud ko pa- register didto sa Comelec (along Osmeña Blvd.) before unya init kaayo. Maayo man diri kay landong unya bugnaw pa (It’s more convenient here than the Comelec office),” said Astrude Pastor, 30.
Pastor, who is from
Election officer says they will add additional more capturing machines to hasten the registration process
Barangay Capitol Site, is having her voter’s registration reactivated since she failed to vote in the last two elections after being assigned as a nurse in Leyte and other provinces.
Abraham Mangoda, 53, of Barangay Basak San Nicolas said it is more convenient to register inside malls because they don’t have to line up under the heat of the sun.
Improve
However, they are asking the poll body to improve their registration process by providing more chairs and fast track their data capturing.
Pastor said the chairs that were set up is not enough. There were only some 50 chairs that were placed at the ground floor of the mall for the registrants in the south district.
Fifty chairs were also provided at the second floor where registrants for the north district are entertained.
Each district only has two data capturing machines.
Sought for comment, south district assistant election officer Sonny Delos Reyes said they are adding additional capturing machines to hasten the registration process.
Yesterday, they brought one additional computer after seeing the number of registrants.
More chairs
As to the additional chairs, Delos Reyes said they are dependent on how many chairs the management of the mall can provide.
A 53-year-old voter from Barangay Cogon Ra-
mos, who only wanted to have his biometrics taken, also wants Comelec to deploy more personnel at their satellite registration areas.
“Daghan man gud kaayo mo- insert sa linya. Moingon sila nga kauban ra daw nila ang naa sa unahan pero di gud. Ni- insert lang gyud. Dapat unta naay control kay magpataka ra man ug sud (There should be more personnel to ensure order in the registration),” the voter, who asked not to be named, said.
He said that he and his wife lined up since 9:30 a.m. but as of 12 noon they didn’t have their turn yet.
Yesterday was the second satellite registration that Comelec Cebu City held at Robinson’s Cybergate. The first was held last Oct. 11.
North district election officer Atty. Marchel Sarno said they had 795 voters in their offsite registration yesterday. This included new registrants, reactivation and transfer of records, among others.
The south district, on the other hand, served at least 800 voters.
Comelec has scheduled three more satellite registrations at Robinson’s on Oct. 25, 30 and 31.
On Oct. 26 to 29, Comelec scheduled the satellite registration at Ayala Center Cebu.
Oct. 31 is the last day of voters registration and validation for the upcoming May 9, 2016 elections.