Comelec receives over 36,000 applications as voter registration resumes
People have their biometrics taken at a voters registration facility in Binondo, Manila in this file photo taken on January 26, 2023. INQUIRER file photo / MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines — The first day of the resumption of voter registration on Monday drew over 36,000 applications, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Tuesday.
Based on initial data released by Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia around 11:57 a.m., the poll body received a total of 36,536 voter registrations nationwide on October 20.
Of this figure, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) recorded the highest number of applications at 8,290, followed by the National Capital Region with 4,637 and Central Luzon with 4,100.
The resumption of voter registration will run from October 20, 2025, to May 18, 2026. Registration will be conducted from Mondays to Saturdays, including holidays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
READ: Comelec to resume voters’ registration starting October 20
The Comelec will accept new registrations, reactivations, and transfers of registration nationwide. Interested applicants may bring any of the following valid IDs:
- PhilSys National ID
- Postal ID
- Persons with Disabilities ID
- Student ID or library card
- Senior Citizen ID
- Driver’s license or student permit
- NBI clearance
- Philippine passport
- SSS, GSIS, PRC, IBP, or UMID ID
- NCIP certification of confirmation
- Other valid government-issued IDs
The Comelec also launched its Special Register Anywhere Program at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, Luneta Park, and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila from October 20 to 21.
However, residents of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) cannot participate in the voter registration.
Garcia earlier explained that this is to avoid confusion among residents who might think the registration will allow them to vote for the Bangsamoro. He clarified that only those registered for the May 2025 midterm elections will be eligible to vote in the Bangsamoro Parliamentary elections.
On August 13, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed a law extending the current three-year term of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials, effectively postponing the elections originally scheduled for December 1, 2025.
Garcia earlier said the poll body received around 2.8 million voter registrations during the 10-day drive held from August 1 to 10, exceeding its target of 1.5 million new applicants. /jpv
