The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in Iloilo City is 95 percent ready for the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), expected to be held on Nov. 2 unless a law is enacted to postpone it yet again.
Election Assistant Officer II Jonathan Sayno, in a Monday (Sept. 21) interview, said Robinsons Place mall will be the venue for filing certificates of candidacy (COC) on Sept. 28 to Oct. 5, and have set the schedule for training electoral boards.
COMELEC Chair George Erwin Garcia previously said they hope a decision is made at least by Sept. 28 because they still have to deliver materials.
The House of Representatives adopted the Senate version of the barangay and SK term extension bill on Sept. 16, thus eliminating a bicameral conference and sending it to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for signing.
The commission already posted the composition of the 970 electoral boards that will undergo briefing from Oct. 16 to Oct. 28. Each board is composed of a chair, a poll clerk, and a third member to serve in 970 clustered precincts.
Sayno said the Election Registration Board will convene on Sept. 24 for the sealing and confirmation of the certified voters list that will be used on the day of the elections and for posting in voting centers.
Sayno said they are just waiting for supplies and ballot boxes to complete their preparations.
Sayno said one challenge they anticipate is a surge in applicants. In the previous elections, over 6,000 candidates filed their COCs.
“The barangay is like an opening salvo for the national and local elections. We are anticipating more candidates because those eyeing the national and local posts in 2028 will put in place those they can rely on,” he added.
Iloilo City has 312,317 voters for barangay elections and 99,554 for Sangguniang Kabataan.
Meanwhile, the Regional Joint Security Control Center is expected to convene this week to begin discussions on security concerns across Western Visayas.PNA
