MANILA - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is planning to expand the initiative allowing people to register as voters regardless of their place of residence.

The next implementation of the "Register Anywhere Program" will be available in every village or municipality so people can be encouraged to register, Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia told the press. 

Filipinos can either apply for registration or reactivation through the RAP in remote areas listed on the Comelec website.

Voters can still process their registration, in their own city or municipality until September 30, 2024.

“Sa susunod nating registration ay mas palalawakin natin yan... sadya lang pong inagahan nating tapusin ang Registration Anywhere (Program)... yung mga nagpapa-rehistro sa RAP, ay siyempre po meron pang period ang Comelec na mai-forward sa mga local Comelec natin kung saan pwedeng magpa-rehistro ng mga kababayan natin... at least meron kaming one month para mai-forward ang kanilang registration,” Garcia said.

More malls to join 'register anywhere' program for voters

(Next time we will expand our Registration Anywhere Program. We needed to do the RAP earlier because we need one month to forward the voter’s registration to their appropriate precinct.)

The next RAP, Garcia said, should not just be available in malls, public or private institutions, but even in every village or municipalities so people can be more encouraged to register.

Comelec dismisses application of more than 100 party-lists, political parties

The Comelec is currently processing around 5.6 applications applications, which include 2.4 million new voters.

Garcia is confident that they will achieve their target 3 million new voters registering for next year’s elections.

But this is in contrast to the continuous low turnout of overseas voter registration which as of press time is still pegged at 1,000,180, Garcia said.

“Ang pagboto at yung pagpa-participate ng mga kababayan natin sa paghahalal ng lider ay ganun ka-importante. Sapagkat dapat lahat tayo may pakialam... upang masabi natin na ang lider na yan, inihalal ko.  Kaya responsible sya sa akin. At the same time, yung mga hindi mo naman hinalal, kinakailangan singilin mor in. Hindi kita ibinoto, pero dapat responsible ka rin sa amin,” he said.

(Voting and participating in choosing our next leader is very important because we must be involve. So we can tell our voted leader that he is responsible to us. And you can do the same even to those who you did not vote.)