DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) here has logged 208 new voter-registrants in its ‘Register Anywhere Program’ (RAP) for the 2025 midterm elections.
RAP allows the public of voting age to register wherever outside their hometowns.
Atty. Lionel Marco Castillano, regional election director of the Comelec-Negros Island Region, said the program is beneficial for students and workers who are away from their registered voting locations.
RAP service is only available in Dumaguete City, offering a practical solution for those who would otherwise struggle to participate in the electoral process, said Castillano.
He urged the public to avail of RAP before its deadline at the end of August this year.
RAP is a key initiative of Comelec to enhance voter registration accessibility in the region.
However, the number of daily registrants in the province has remained modest, averaging only two or three per day.
“It’s not as high as in bigger cities, but what’s important is that we’re giving people the chance to register,” Castillano said.
Nicole Villarin, a 21-year-old student of Silliman University shared that the program is highly beneficial for young people in the province.
“I think it’s more convenient for the youth, especially since most students are not from Dumaguete. They can easily access and register because it’s their right to vote,” said Villarin.
Comelec has utilized social media platforms and conducted voter education sessions in local schools to maximize the program’s reach.
Although RAP initially targeted the barangays, Silliman University has requested a special satellite registration from Aug. 19 to 23, which will include RAP services.
With this, students from Mindanao studying at Silliman University may no longer have a problem in registering if they are not physically present in their hometown.
RAP is only available until Aug. 31, while regular registration continues until Sept. 30, the Comelec official said.
“The procedure requires us to send your registration records to your home locality. This needs to happen before the election registration board hearing, so we need to ensure that all records are delivered on time,” said Castillano. (JCT/PIA7 Negros Oriental with reports from April Villagonzalo, SU Intern)
