Thousands of Filipinos seeking to participate in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in November rushed to Commission on Elections (Comelec) offices and partner establishments such as malls on Monday, the final day of the nationwide voter registration period.
Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said many applicants — both first-time registrants aged 15 to 17 for the youth sector and 18 years old and above for regular voters — queued early at local Comelec offices and satellite registration sites.
He said election officers in heavily congested areas were directed to implement the “last day scenario” under Comelec Resolution No. 11177 to manage the surge of applicants.
“Our Election Officers in crowded areas are now required to implement the ‘Last Day Scenario’ provision, where they determine the maximum number of applicants they can process and accommodate,” Laudiangco said in a statement.
He added that once the 3 p.m. cutoff was reached, offices were instructed to list remaining applicants within a 30-meter radius so they could be called back for processing later the same day.
In some areas, particularly in Metro Manila, Comelec offices were forced to implement an earlier cutoff after reaching full capacity.
“It is true that almost all of our offices in the NCR reached their maximum capacity this morning, exceeding the 1,000 expected applicants. That is why some offices had to cut off around noon because they could no longer accommodate additional applicants,” he said.
Laudiangco appealed for public understanding, stressing that the surge in applicants exceeded processing capacity.
“At this point, we request and humbly ask for understanding, because the actual number beyond our capacity cannot be accommodated today,” he said.
He assured, however, that those included in the official list before cutoff time would still be served.
“Applicants who were listed for accommodation today can be assured that all Comelec personnel will process their applications, no matter how long it takes. This is part of our duty,” he added.
The voter registration period ran from Oct. 20, 2025 to May 18, 2026.
Based on Comelec data as of May 16, about 5.2 million applications were processed over seven months, which the poll body described as the highest recorded in any registration cycle in its history. A total of 5,142,336 applications were recorded during the period.
Region 4-A (Calabarzon) logged the highest number of applications with 838,520, followed by Central Luzon with 574,223 and the National Capital Region with 562,879. The Cordillera Administrative Region recorded the lowest at 70,390.
Comelec also processes applications for reactivation and transfer of voter records.
Laudiangco also noted that another voter registration period will be held in 2027 ahead of the May 2028 national and local elections, in line with Republic Act 8189. (PNA)