MASBATE CITY (PIA) – Antonio Reoyan was not eager to cast his ballot on May 12, 2025. As a wheelchair-bound voter who had struggled to vote during the 2022 national elections while he was still able-bodied, he anticipated facing another challenging experience at the polls this time.
However, when his wife wheeled him to the polling place at Nursery Elementary School in Masbate City, Reoyan was pleasantly surprised.
“There was no queue, and everyone involved in administering the elections was accommodating,” the 59-year-old paralytic said in the vernacular.
Ramesis Sison, head of the Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) in Masbate City, said Reoyan should thank the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the convenience provided by its early voting hours.
“I am impressed by the early voting hours,” Sison told the Philippine Information Agency shortly after casting his vote at a little past 6 a.m.
“The election inspectors are attentive to the needs of persons with disabilities,” he continued. “You can see that the boards of election inspectors are well-oriented in providing the necessary services to persons with disabilities.”
Sison said the positive experience shared by him and the Reoyan couple was echoed by leaders of senior citizens associations.
“The PWD sector is happy. The senior citizens are happy. We and the pregnant women are all happy because of the early voting hour initiative,” he said.
Sison said that since the PWD sector is pleased, he expects that all but the bedridden individuals among the more than 1,400 PWDs in Masbate City will ensure their voices are heard.
Reoyan’s wife, Alma, who is also a PWD, said that since the two-hour early voting began at 5 a.m. in their polling precinct, they were protected from the extreme mid-morning temperatures, which can be dangerous for stroke victims like her husband.
The Office of Civil Defense reported a heat index of 42ºC in Masbate on Election Day, which is in the “danger category” and raises the risk of heat-related illnesses, such as heat cramps and heat stroke.
The Comelec introduced early voting hours from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. for the first time this midterm election, allowing persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and pregnant women to vote early. The remaining 68 million registered voters can vote from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Election Task Force created by the Schools Division of Masbate has not announced any last-minute issues regarding the accommodation of early voters.
This task force oversees all schools in 20 municipalities of Masbate.
Lawyer Alberto Cañares III, the provincial election supervisor for Masbate, has encouraged senior citizens, PWDs, and pregnant women to take advantage of the early voting hours. (PIA Masbate)
