Baguio City: Internet connection and transportation of election paraphernalia due to distance pose challenges to the conduct of elections in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). Citing experiences during the mock elections in Mountain Province on Jan. 25, Comelec-CAR Director Julius Torres said the voting center in Ankileng, Sagada has internet connectivity issues but this would be addressed using the satellite internet constellation kit of Starlink.

According to Philippines News Agency, iOne Solutions, the company contracted to look at the internet connectivity issues of the voting precincts, have been visiting the sites to conduct actual testing of the internet connectivity. They hope to finish and complete the testing soon, which would allow them to see the actual situation. Torres said provincial election supervisors in the region have also submitted a list indicating the status of internet connectivity to guide the actual testing of the company. He expressed confidence that internet connectivity will not be a problem on the day of the election as these issues are being addressed.

The mock elections were conducted from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. with the help of the Electoral Board, who would serve in the May 12 polls. Torres said the activity concluded at around 10:45 a.m. after the ballots were transmitted to the national center. About 100 voters were expected to join the process for officials to observe the end-to-end testing, but some backed out, leading Torres to ‘vote’ four times to meet their goal.

During the mock election, officials observed the potential for long queues as voters feed their ballots into the machine. It was noted that it takes at least 20 seconds for a voter to check each of the four pages of the ballots. In response, Torres submitted a suggestion to the central office to shorten the viewing time per page. He concluded that while the mock elections went well, they identified areas for improvement and will report and suggest modifications.

Lawyer Mae Richelle Belmes noted that in her area, Apayao, there are challenges in transporting election materials due to the lack of roads and reliance on boats for access in certain areas. Efforts are underway to address these logistical challenges to ensure a smooth election process.