BONTOC, Mountain Province – As part of the preparations for the May 9 elections, 469 individuals who will serve in the different voting precincts in the province recently completed the Electoral Board Training and passed the Department of Science and Technology certification examination.
Provincial Election Supervisor Mae Richelle Belmes said the participants who compose the Electoral Board (EB) members were trained on the general instructions for EBs, vote counting machine (VCM) operation, contingency procedures, and the Commission on Elections Learning Management System.
“The purpose of this is for them to know the general instructions and how to operate the VCM, which is why they have a practical exam and contingency procedures and plan in case machine or the SD card malfunctions, or the machine cannot read the official ballot,” she said.
Belmes said the EB members, who are mostly teachers, also passed the DOST certification, which means they are capable of using the VCMs that will be used in the elections.
Pursuant to Republic Act 9369, DOST is mandated to conduct the certification program of EBs for automated elections.
Belmes said the EB members in the province are ready to serve on May 9. She said three trainees were disqualified due to their relationship with candidates and one tested positive for the Covid-19. – Valerie Taguba
April 24, 2024
