By Mariela Angella Oladive
The Commission on Elections in Region 6 (Western Visayas) lauded the successful pilot implementation of early and mall voting during the May 12 midterm elections.
Comelec-6 Regional Director Atty. Dennis Ausan said approximately 261,000 voters from vulnerable sectors—including senior citizens, persons with disabilities and pregnant women—participated in early voting from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. across Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique and Guimaras.
“We’re happy to note our success, especially with the implementation of early voting and mall voting for the first time,” Ausan said.
“The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and the turnout was much better than expected,” he added.
Ausan said participation is expected to grow in future elections as more voters become aware of the initiative.
An 80-year-old retired nurse from Barangay Montinola in Iloilo City, who voted at 6 a.m. at Iloilo National High School, described the process as smooth and efficient.
A total of 8,249 voters from nine barangays also cast their ballots at five malls: SM City Iloilo, Robinsons Place Iloilo (City Proper), Robinsons Place Jaro, Festive Walk Mall and Robinsons Place Roxas in Capiz.
The mall voting initiative made the process more accessible and helped reduce congestion at traditional school-based precincts.
The designated barangays per mall were:
- SM City Iloilo – Barangay Buhang Taft North, Mandurriao
● Robinsons Place Iloilo (City Proper) – Barangays Roxas Village, Magsaysay, Kauswagan, Osmeña and San Jose
● Robinsons Place Jaro – Barangay San Vicente, Jaro
● Festive Walk Mall – Barangay Airport, Mandurriao
● Robinsons Place Roxas – Barangay Poblacion X, Roxas City
Ausan said the overall conduct of the elections in the region was peaceful and orderly, with no major incidents reported.
He acknowledged that 14 towns in Iloilo province—including Iloilo City—experienced minor issues with malfunctioning automated counting machines.
These, he said, were promptly addressed by technical hubs established in each province.
“We consider them as just minor challenges that have been addressed,” Ausan noted.
