• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
The Commission on Elections in the Negros Island Region (Comelec–NIR) recorded a total of 52,375 voter registrants during the first nine weeks, following the resumption of voter registration on October 20.
Data from Comelec–NIR showed that Negros Occidental posted the highest number of registrants at 35,538, followed by Negros Oriental with 16,076. Siquijor logged the lowest turnout in the region with 761 registrants.
Comelec–NIR Director Atty. Lionel Castillano said the turnout fell short of the commission’s target.
“Without our satellite registration offices in schools, barangays, and malls, the turnout would have been even lower, especially if we relied solely on voters coming to our main offices,” Castillano said, adding that the commission would continue rolling out these initiatives for the remainder of the registration period.
Under the Commission’s Register Anywhere Program (RAP), a total of 227 registrations were processed in two highly urbanized cities in the region – 69 in Bacolod City and 168 in Dumaguete City.
The RAP aims to remove traditional barriers to voter registration, including geographic constraints and the inconvenience of visiting local Comelec offices. The program caters to a broad range of voters, including new registrants, transferring voters, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) seeking to vote locally, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities (PWDs), to ensure a more inclusive and accessible process.
PAUSE UNTIL JANUARY
Castillano announced that voter registration will be temporarily suspended starting December 24 and will resume on January 5, 2026.
“We will have no registration operations beginning December 24. Registration will resume on January 5,” he said.
The commission advised the public to monitor its official social media pages for timely and reliable updates on the schedules of satellite registration offices.*
