This is the day, May 9, 2022, the fate of the country will be decided by over 62 million registered voters as they make their choices of officials both from National and Local positions.

Last April 30, I visited my polling area together with my two young adults. It's already a habit for me to visit my polling place prior election. Because, as a former Comelec BEI (Board of Election Inspector), I know what scenario would happen if we will not check our names on the Voters List. That's why I also have to teach my two girls, especially my youngest as a first time voter,  because election season can be overwhelming and at the same time confusing.

Today's election process involves pandemic safety protocols, that must be observed. Though elections is not new to me, but because of the pandemic, there are many changes in the voting guidelines, that's why we need to religiously observed.

Last 2016 election voting time is 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Now, it's 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

It's raining here in Davao City, we woke up at 4:00 AM. The night before the election,  I told my girls to prepare their copy of their Cluster Number, Precint Number and their Assigned Number of the Comelec Voters Registrations,  put it on a piece of paper for faster movement inside the Precinct. I also remind them to bring the new normal essentials: like face mask, alcohol and personal ball pen.

Went to our polling place at exactly 5:30 AM, upon arrival the school gate is still CLOSE. We've been told that the gate will be OPEN at exactly 6:00 AM. People are already shouting to let us in because it's raining very hard and there are Senior Citizens and PWDs are waiting outside. Honestly, though social distancing is one of the safety protocols to be followed, it was never been followed.

And the clock strikes 6:00 AM, guard allowed us to enter the school and have our temperature check taken. But, because a crowd of angry people eager to get inside, the thermal checker got malfunction and again people yelling desperately as they only have one thermal checker available in the school. Well, I don't know what happened next,  how the school and the Comelec people do about it. As for us, who are done with our temperature check and we are all OK to vote, we proceed to our designated Precinct.

I went to my assigned room and ask one of the Poll Watchers and guide me to stay first in the Waiting Area.

Yes, you've heard it right! For the first time in my electoral experience, a waiting area was made, as part of the pandemic protocol in Election 2022.

The Poll Watcher calls my name and went inside the Voting Room give the piece of paper to the Electoral Board (remember the piece of paper that we prepare the night before the election) with the precinct number, sequence number and cluster precinct number. So, I skip STEP 2 Procedure here.

The Chairman assigned in my precinct, check her Voters Registration Book if my name was there and upon verifying she let me signed using my personal ball pen on the VRB and handed me my ballot secrecy folder and a marking pen.

I cast my vote exactly 6:15 AM, first feed of my secrecy ballot, the VCM (Vote Counting Machine) did not read it! Waaahhh! I prayed hard for the second time, yepppeeehhhhh! Finally, it reads. Then they give me the receipt and check if it's correct. All are CORRECT and then deposited it in the receptacle.

And at last at 6:25 AM, done voting! Early bird. First in line.

And as for my girls, their voting experience were also fast and smooth.

 

1. (New) because it's my youngest daughter first time to vote.

2. (New) because I like the Polling Area now compared previous election (it's very chaotic last year). Today, our school polling precincts are well organized despite of small problems with their Thermal Checker. 😊🤞

3. (New) we have our WAITING AREA! Love it. Queue lines, no more.

4. (New) I love the BEI's uniform shirt. I haven't taken pictures of them, but I guess you've seen it too! In our time, we don't have that kind of uniformity in terms of shirt to wear, but we request for it though.

5. (New) VAD or Voters' Assistance Desk is now visible. 😝😝😝🤪 And now, they're all organized. Copies of the Voters List and Cluster Precinct are posted in the GYM area too!

6. (New) And lastly,  first time to vote wearing a mask! 🤪🤪🤪🤞

THE PREPARATION

Early in the morning of October 27, all DAVAO COMELEC-Board of Election Tellers(BET) are expected to be present in getting all the Brgy. Election paraphernalia's at Sangguniang Panglungsod.





Went at 6:30 in the morning and as usual expect to see a huge line of people coming from different District of Davao City.



Public school teachers and non-teaching personnel are there to serve the said election. I've been serving as Board of Election Tellers since I am 18 years old and every election different scenario I always encounter.

Getting In

Getting Out

  
Maybe this time it's not as bad as compared last Presidential Election during the manual year, wherein we have to weigh the votes manually and finish the counting by the next day. For this time we only have to cast our votes for Barangay Level, after President PNOY signs law postponing SK Election for there are calls to reform or abolish the SK as some lawmakers and various sectors said that the youth council become the school of corruption.

After we get the paraphernalia's, we went to our respected school and prepare our rooms.

This time I was assigned to serve CLUSTER #541 Precinct #0728B-0729A.

And because it is MANUAL the Poll Clerk list down all the names of the candidates here.

ELECTION PROPER

Everyone is so early this time except for my BET-CHAIRMAN at 5 in the morning I am in my assigned Cluster Precinct, my Chairman arrive at 6 in the morning. Election start at exactly 7 in the morning.

And for a better assistant our school puts a guide map to all voters, in order for them to locate their respected Cluster Precinct Number.



Today voters will cast their votes for ONE BARANGAY OFFICIAL and SEVEN KAGAWADS(Councilors).

And as a POLL CLERK need to put all the details in our Minutes of Voting.

This is the most boring election so I speak. Why? Because out of our 400 registered voters listed both in our PCVL(Precinct Level Computerized Voters List) and EDCVL(Election Day Computerized Voters List) only 178 who cast their votes.

Voting has ended at exactly 3 in the afternoon. We have a 30 minutes break before our manual counting starts.

We ended our counting at exactly 6 in the evening.  Following all the rules stated in our COMELEC-General Instructions.

And since I was assigned to deliver the ELECTION RETURNS sealed envelope containing the ORIGINAL to the CHAIRMAN of the Barangay Board of Canvassers, I went to SIR Elementary School together with our BET-Third Member escorted by the PNP.

And for our Chairman, she is assigned to bring the ELECTION RETURNS second copy to the Election Officer, third copy to be deposited inside the ballot box and fourth copy to the Secretary of the Sangguniang Barangay, delivered at ALMENDRAS GYM escorted by the Philippine Police.

A bit of a hard work as we say but we have nothing to do, as BET we have to prioritize our job that is to serve the election in a peaceable and fair means.

     

I started serving COMELEC as one of the BEI's at age 18.  And for that year of service I encountered different procedures in conducting Philippine Election both Local and National.

Last 2010, Philippine Election start using the PRECINCT COUNT OPTICAL SCAN or popularly known to us as PCOS machine.




In the first Automated Election, as one of the BEI's it was not clear to us on how to operate the said machine since we are out of time with our training on how to handle PCOS procedures.  A bit confuse but we need to follow instructions (that time there is only one PCOS Technician assign in our school).

Today's preparation is very different aside from the Final TESTING and SEALING we have our COMELEC BRIEFING SEMINAR, which we also have from the past but the only difference is during the BRIEFING the actual PCOS was there already.  The actual handling were being instructed to us.  At the day of setting up the PCOS Machine during TESTING and RESEALING the Chairman knows already what to do, assign to do all the procedures stated in the BY-LAWS, the POLL CLERK and the THIRD MEMBER will be the one to assist the Chairman, to look into and to observe if the Chairman is doing the right procedure in handling the PCOS machine.



Using the SECURITY KEY or better known as the "EYE BUTTON" and also the BEI's PASSWORD this will TURN-ON the machine.  If one enters a wrong password the machine will not start up.  This will be the procedure in changing the machine's configuration and turning off the machine.

EYE BUTTON

MY PASSWORD

  
The same process will be use during the day of the Election.

ELECTION DAY.     

Since the Voting proper will start at 7 in the morning. All BEI's need to show up at exactly 5 in the morning to get the voting paraphernalia's at the School Principal office.




We need to OPEN UP the machine again which
requires the procedures stated above.

What I like about the election now is that all the Precincts are being put into a CLUSTERED/GROUPED PRECINCTS.  Compared from the past elections, we need to look for our Precincts which is very difficult to locate because of its room assignment.  Like as with the CLUSTER, we need to get our CLUSTER then all the precincts are indicated there alphabetically.



What is not good here is that all the old voters who seem to have the idea of the old election proceeding they still have this thinking that when they VOTE they have to bring their old precinct number which we don't allow anymore.


TAKE NOTE:  BEI's need only your NAME, CLUSTER PRECINCT and your sequence number which you see at the VOTERS LIST posted outside the POLLING PRECINCT(that is why we
encourage you to go to your polling precinct before the election)for faster  election proceedings.


Voting will take you 30 minutes plus the lining outside.  No more agonizing thumb mark.  Only edible ink.  Less drama.      

But problem occurs when some are not following instructions, using ball pen instead of a marker pen given to them.  Others instead of shading they put an X or √ which turns into a BLOTTED BALLOT because they shade it again. That is why their votes are not counted because the sensitive PCOS will not accept it.  In our Cluster we have two REJECTED BALLOTS.

Another experience here is that we finish early but the problem is we only have one modem available for transmittal and we have 25 CLUSTERED PRECINCT'S sharing the modem and five(5) PCOS TECHNICIAN guiding as with the transmittal.

One of the PCOS TECHNICIAN told me that the transmittal will take as so long to transmit the result because COMELEC use GLOBE and SUN instead of a SMART CARD.  She is very right, we cannot transmit our result 100% because of its weak signal.  Just to compare last year, it takes us only 30 minutes to transfer our result today it takes us 2 hours to transmit aside from one modem use.

So far with my experience with today's election, though I don't share COMELEC confidences with the PCOS.  I speak in behalf of my fellow countryman, COMELEC should make more training and give more information to all Filipinos beside this is the only job they have happened once every three years.

I can say for a fact that this is the most peaceful election, no outbreak of violence happened in my polling precinct.  People are generally and patiently waiting in spite of the unavoidable lines.  

I hope the mistakes today's election will
yield a lesson for much improved 2016 ELECTION.