September 7 (tomorrow as I write this) will be the start of the second week of voter registration. The first week was generally a success with more than six thousand transactions processed in the NCR alone. In the coming, things should be better. So here are some takeaways from the week that was.
Before you go to the COMELEC…
Here’s what you do:
- Download the Voter Registration Application Form (CEF-1) from the COMELEC website, the official COMELEC Facebook Page or from this blog, HERE.
- THIS IS RECOMMENDED BUT NOT MANDATORY. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO DOWNLOAD A FORM, DON’T WORRY. FORMS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE COMELEC OFFICE, FOR FREE.
- Fill out the Form, but don’t sign the OATH portion. Here’s a couple of easy guides to filling out the Form: HERE and HERE.
- Make an appointment with the COMELEC office where you’re going to register. Go check out the official COMELEC Facebook Page to find the updated contact information of COMELEC offices. For COMELEC Offices in the NCR, you can find that information HERE.
- THIS IS A RECOMMENDED STEP. IT IS EASIER TO REGISTER WHEN YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT.
- YOU CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT VIA PHONE CALL OR BY COMMUNICATING THRU THE COMELEC OFFICE’S FACEBOOK PAGE
- IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, DO NOT WORRY. WALK-INS WILL BE ENTERTAINED BUT THOSE WITH APPOINTMENTS ARE PRIORITIZED.
- Bring your filled-out (BUT UNSIGNED!) form to the COMELEC office where you intend to register. REMEMBER to wear a face mask and a face shield, and to bring your own pen.
- NO FACE MASK, NO FACE SHIELD, NO ENTRY. Remember that.
Getting into the COMELEC
When you get to the Office of the COMELEC, do not expect to be let in right away. In fact, you should expect to see the entrance being very strictly managed by guards and election assistants. Hindi kayo makakapasok kaagad – lalo na kung wala kayong appointment or form.
Incidentally, this is where we have the greatest problems maintaining social distancing. COMELEC personnel are managing the movement of people inside our premises, and we don’t have enough people to monitor the movements of people outside. Thankfully, local law enforcement has been very helpful in this regard.
When you’re ready to enter, you will undergo a health check where your temperature will be clocked and you will be asked to fill out a Health self-declaration. Needless to say, kung wala kang face shield at face mask, di ka makakalusot dito pa lang.
Once you’re through the main entrance and into the COMELEC waiting area this is what you can expect to see.
Quick note here: Iba-iba ang sujat at porma ng waiting area. It depends on the LGU. In Makati for example (shown above), there is a large courtyard that can, in fact, accomodate a place for filling up forms.
In some places, this waiting area is just a corridor – as is the case with Taguig.
Whatever the waiting room looks like, the people do the same thing. Maintain social distancing while waiting for the registration process proper to start.
Registration Process Proper
The registration process proper starts with your submission of the application form so that it can be encoded into the COMELEC’s computers.
Because of COVID-safe measures, the process is still clunky. To avoid handling the form which was held by the applicant, the verification of the entries is done across plastic barriers.
When iRehistro goes online (very soon, I hope) this process will be quicker since the COMELEC worker will simply scan the codes on your application form to encode your information into our system.
After that, the applicant will undergo biometrics gathering.
After that, you’re good to go. Natapos mo na ang registration process proper, and you will have to immediately leave the COMELEC office.