SIX months before the May 2025 national and local polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to hold the first-ever national convention for city/municipal election officers (EOs), provincial election supervisors (PES), and regional election directors (REDs) at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
According to Comelec chairman George Garcia, the national convention set from November 19 to 21 will mark the first time that the poll body will convene all its field officials from all parts of the country.
“This is the first time we will have this national convention of all election officers, as well as provincial election supervisors and regional election directors,” said Garcia in an interview last Friday.
“We expect almost 4,000 attendees (to attend) the convention,” he said.
He said the national convention will provide the Comelec the opportunity to inform and train all their field personnel regarding the new automated election system (AES) that will be used in next year’s elections.
“We shall be teaching them how to use the automated counting machines (ACMs) and other matters relative to the automated election system,” said Garcia.
In addition, he said the assembly will also serve as venue to award outstanding Comelec personnel and honor retirees and those have who passed away.
Garcia said the convention will be timely as they are now preparing for the forthcoming roadshow for the ACMs starting next month.
“We will be holding demonstration of the new machines in the entire Philippines from December 2 to January 30, so the public will be familiarized with the machines,” he said.
He also said the public demonstration will be more extensive as each city or municipality will have a designated ACM.
“The ratio now is one machine to one municipality, unlike before when it is only one machine per regional office,” he added.
The May 2025 polls will mark the first time that the Comelec will be using the Full Automation System with Transparency Audit/Count (FASTrAC) with the joint venture led by Miru Systems as the service provider.
