BY: VANESSA BUGTONG
To encourage early participation in the elections, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) handed out small tokens to early voters in Baguio City.
Among the earliest to arrive was 70-year-old Nonnette Bennett, who was already waiting in line by 5 AM at Dominican-Mirador Elementary School.
“It was easy to feed the ballot, but the receipt came out a bit slow,” Bennett observed.
By arriving early, she avoided the long queues expected to form later in the morning.
As a senior citizen, she was qualified to vote during COMELEC’s early voting hours, which prioritize seniors, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and pregnant voters.
“It’s the first time a government agency thought about the welfare of elders, pregnant women, and PWDs,” she said.
COMELEC Benguet Election Supervisor Atty. Elinita Tabangin-Capuyan noted a good turnout for early voting.
“Most of the early voters were seniors. We didn’t see any PWDs yet, but one pregnant voter came here at Pines City National High School,” she said.
She added, “We asked them if this setup worked for them, and they said it was smoother and quicker. They didn’t have to line up for long, so we’re happy with the feedback.”
Because Bennett was the second early voter at her precinct, she received a simple gift from COMELEC, a token of appreciation for being a responsible citizen.
COMELEC distributed around 150 pins to early voters across three precincts: Dominican-Mirador Elementary School, Pines City National High School, and Baguio Central School.
Voting in Baguio City will officially end at 7 PM.
