Comelec surprised by ‘overwhelming’ turnout as voter registration reopens
MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) was surprised by the long lines of applicants at voter registration sites on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
The observation comes as the poll body reopened the registration for the May 2028 national and local elections.
Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia described the turnout at the Special Registration Anywhere/Anytime Program (SRAP) site at Mabini Hall in Luneta Park in Manila as “overwhelming.”The commission did not expect such a large number of applicants on the first day.
At the Luneta Park SRAP site, long lines had already formed before registration began at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
Majority of those waiting were senior high school students, most of whom were applying for voter registration as a requirement for their college applications.
READ: Comelec opens voter registration for 2028 polls from Nov. 10 to July 30
Janna Co, 17, a senior high school student at Jesus Reigns Christian Academy, said she and her friends had been in line as early as 7 a.m.
While voter registration was a requirement for the college she was applying to, Co said she also wanted to register because she planned to run for Sangguniang Kabataan in 2028.
“Even if it’s not required [by the school], I will still register so that I can run as a Sangguniang Kabataan official [in 2028],” she told the Inquirer.
READ: Barangay certificates, cedulas not valid for voter registration – Comelec
Comelec spokesperson Atty. John Rex Laudiangco said the turnout was considerably better than the registration turnout over the last couple of years.
He cited similarly large crowds at other special registration sites nationwide.
These places include Robinsons Dasmariñas City, SM Lipa City and the National University-Lipa City campus, which he described as having “overwhelming numbers” and “blockbuster attendance.”
“SRAP NU Lipa received applications not only from Batangas, Quezon, Cavite, Mindoro and many more,” Laudiangco noted.
He believes the hight turnout as proof that Filipinos recognize the importance of registering to vote in the 2028 elections.
Laudiangco defined what these scenarios mean: “A proof that Filipinos now know the value of registration, and are ensuring that they’ll be able to vote in the 2028 national and local elections.”
READ: Comelec targets 3M additional voters for 2028 polls
To bring voter registration closer to the public, Comelec will continue to set up SRAP sites in various establishments, including schools and malls.
Following its activity at Luneta Park, the poll body will open additional SRAP sites at WalterMart Chino Roces on Nov. 19, and the Far Eastern University-Manila campus on Nov. 24.
Voter registration will run from Nov. 10, 2026 to July 30, 2027.
The poll body urged the public to take advantage of the registration period and complete their applications before the deadline to qualify as voters for the elections in May 2028. /apl
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