Comelec inks MOU with NU for Register Anywhere Project

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding with officials of the National University for the launching of the poll body's first Register Anywhere Project in an educational institution.

Comelec chairperson George Garcia, Executive Director Teofisto Elnas Jr., and Deputy Executive Director for Operations Rafael Olaño represented the poll body during the MOU signing.

Meanwhile, NU's Executive Vice President Rosauro Manuel, Executive Director for NU Fairview Ricky R. Lawas and Executive Director for NU MOA Leonora E. Concepcion represented the university.

In his message before the MOU signing, Garcia said the RAP in educational institutions such as NU seeks to encourage the young ones to participate in electoral activities.

"'Pag pinagusapan ang isang campus o ang isang university, ang pinaguusapan natin dito kabataan, mga estudyante...dapat lang na sila ay maiparehistro natin sapagkat ngayon pa lang ganito kaaga dapat lang maipakita natin, maiparamdam natin na ganon sila kaimportante pero dapat din panindigan nila ang obligasyon nila bilang mamamayan ng ating bansa," Garcia said.

[If we are talking about a campus or a university, we are talking about the youth, the students ... It is necessary that we have them registered to show how important they are but they also should know that they have an obligation to our country.]

Meanwhile, Comelec spokesperson Rex Laudiangco said the poll body will also launch its RAP in the Senate and House of Representatives on January 25 and they were invited to launch the  same during the anniversary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development on January 23.

Last week, Garcia said the poll body has yet to achieve half of its expected 1.5 to 2 million new registrants for this year's village and youth council polls.

The voter registration for the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections started on December 12, 2022 and will end on January 31, 2023.

Registrants may go to the office of the election officer or satellite registration sites in their areas from Monday to Saturday, including holidays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Register Anywhere Project meanwhile runs from December 17, 2022 to January 25, 2023.

The BSKE was supposed to be held in December 2022 but was moved to October 2023.

As of January 13, the Comelec said it has registered 1,024,52 new voters for the 2023 BSKE. — Hana Bordey/RSJ, GMA Integrated News