This was how Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia described the nearly month-old voter registration activities being held for the October 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
In a televised public briefing, Garcia lamented the meager number of applicants for voter registration weeks after they opened on December 12, 2022.
“Since we resumed, the number of applicants have been scant and, as they say, nilalangaw (no one in attendance),” said Garcia.
“There are only very few people going to our local Comelec offices,” he added.
He noted how the number of applicants have been a far cry from their initial projections.
“It is lamentable as our expected applicants for voter registration is around 1.5 to 2 million,” said Garcia.
Data released by the Comelec showed that a total of 188,129 individuals have filed their application to be eligible voters in next year’s elections.
The numbers include 60,491 voters aged 15 to 17; 101,944 voters aged 18 to 30; and 25,694 voters aged 31 and above.
It should be noted that 15 to 17 years old voters may vote in the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls, 18 to 30 years old voters for both the barangay and youth polls, and 31 years old and above for the barangay elections.
Among SK applicants, there were also 762 that applied for transfer from other city/municipality, while 494 applied for transfer within the same city/municipality.
For barangay voter applicants, there were also 100,282 that applied for transfer from other city/municipality, while 24,265 applied for transfer within the same city/municipality.
Records also showed that there were 4,665 that sought for transfer with reactivation, 1,717 that applied for transfer with reactivation and correction of entries, and 5,500 that applied for transfer with correction of entries.
There were also 20,598 that applied for reactivation and 5,740 that sought reactivation with correction of entries.
The Comelec also said 24,118 applied for correction of entries, 62 for inclusion of record in the book of voters, and 13 for reinstatement of name in the list of voters.
There are already 2,345 that applied for transfer from being an overseas voter.
Garcia called on the public anew to apply for voter registration ahead of the January 31 deadline.
“While our offices are not yet crowded, let us get registered now so that we can later on exercise our right as a citizen by being able to vote,” said Garcia. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)