This is probably the most common question of all. Which makes this post the latest ever. But, to find answers to this burning question, look at this:
Because of the hearing schedule of the ERB – once every three months – the minute you hand in your application, your waiting time already clocks in at anywhere from one week [if you registered towards the end of the quarter] to three months [if you registered at the start of the quarter]. Sadly, there is nothing the COMELEC can do about this, as the ERB hearing schedule is fixed by law.
Then consider how long it will take for the printing facility to get to your particular application considering that you’re in line with every registrant from all over the country. So far, the waiting time for Steps 3 and 4 to be complete stands at about six to nine months. At this point, you will have waited for your ID for at least nine months. And that isn’t even counting the possibility of errors in your data, breakdowns at the printers, and any of the 1,001 things that can slow down production like holidays.
Unfortunately Step Five isn’t instant either. Obviously, the printed IDs will have to be shipped back to the election offices where they belong. So, that adds another three to four weeks. We’ve been trying to streamline these steps, but unfortunately, it all really boils down to the huge bottleneck created by having only one ballot printing facility for the entire country.
So why not have another, you ask? The biggest consideration where that’s concerned is the security of the voter registration information. That info can’t be given to anyone else because that someone else just might turn around and sell the info to others. And believe me, a lot of people are interested in a database containing the home addresses of more than 47 million Filipinos. Incidentally, protecting the confidential information of registered voters is also one of the reasons why the COMELEC still isn’t part of the Universal ID consortium that includes the SSS and the GSIS. Until a way is found to generate IDs without compromising the security of the database, I’m afraid we’ll be sticking with the one printer that we already use.
Taking all that into consideration, the most realistic prediction for the release of Voter IDs is a frown-inducing 12 months. In the meantime, those with a real need for a COMELEC ID – as opposed to those who just want another valid form of identification – can always ask for a Voter’s Affidavit. That one you can get in a day IF – and this is important – you’re already a registered voter. Which means that if you’ve just handed in your application, you still can’t ask for the Affidavit yet. As I said at the top, you’ll have to go through the ERB first.
So that’s it, then. It’s still not a comfort for those of you who have to wait a long time for your IDs, but at least the waiting won’t be a mystery anymore. At least, now you know why.