CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) — Walberto Gabutan, 59, a person with disability (PWD) from Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City, woke up early on May 12 just so he can avail of the early voting hours given to PWDs and other members of the vulnerable sector.
Gabutan made sure he woke up hours before 5:00 a.m., the start of the early voting period, since he had a long commute ahead of him as he lives in a remote, mountainous area of Cebu City.
“Okay kaayo ni, kay kaning amoa adto pas bukid. Nya maayo ning sayo ta kay dili init ba unya makabotar mig sayo ning sayo ba ug aron mahuman dayon ba,” he said.
(This is nice since we live in a mountainous area. This is much better since it’s early, because it’s not hot, and we can immediately finish.)
On the other hand, Maria Daylinda E. Balansag, 61, from Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City is also thankful that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) implemented the early voting hours for senior citizens like her.
She said their senior citizens’ group has emphasized the importance of them availing of the early voting program so they can finish voting earlier than usual.
“Gi ingnan mi sa among presidente sa senior citizens taga meeting namo nga kinahanglan nga mosayo mo didto, nga alas 5 mo adto namo didto`aron ang mga senior maka botar ug sayo. Nangayo jud mig pasalamat nga naa ra diay ang amoa sa taas,” said Balansag.
(We were told by our senior citizen president that we should be early, particularly around 5:00 a.m., so that the senior citizens can vote early. We are thankful that our (precinct) is located only above.)
For those who missed the early voting period, Comelec continued to provide a special lane for the vulnerable sector in the polling areas on election day.
This is the first time that Comelec has given PWDs, pregnant women, and senior citizens the opportunity to vote as early as 5:00 a.m. until 7:00 a.m. so they can cast their ballots ahead and skip the long lines.
“The early voting program is a major initiative designed to prioritize senior citizens, Persons with Disabilities, and pregnant women. It allows them to cast their votes early, helping them avoid long queues during regular voting hours,” said Lawyer Veronico Petalcorin, Comelec 7 assistant regional director.
The early voting period also gave the members of the vulnerable sector a chance to avoid the summer heat.
“Given the intense summer heat and the absence of air conditioning in polling stations, this program enables them to vote… when temperatures are cooler,” said Petalcorin.
If the early voting program proves to be successful and receives positive feedback, Petalcorin said it will be considered for future elections.
Based on Comelec data, there are a total of 25,969 PWDs and 537,889 senior citizen voters in Cebu province as of Feb 20, 2025.
Cebu is considered the most vote-rich province in the country with a total of 3,407,780 registered voters in Cebu from 1,203 barangays. (ZCL/PIA7 Cebu)
