The Commission on Elections-Western Visayas (Comelec-6) urged qualified registrants to be heroes, visit their offices, and register in preparation for the 2025 midterm elections.

“It would be of greater significance because Monday is National Heroes Day, and all of us are reporting to our office, and all our registrants are coming to our offices. I think it’s a good day for us to feel that we, in our own way, are contributing to the future of our country as heroes,” Western Visayas Regional Election Director Lawyer Dennis Ausan said in an interview.

Ausan said they are giving stakeholders the avenue to “exercise their constitutionally mandated right,” which the public often forgets.

“We make them feel that they themselves are heroes. The fact that they go to Comelec office and register, they should realize they are already part of the future of our country,” he added.

In the meantime, Ausan said the regional office is still in the process of reconciling its statistics as a result of the separation of Negros Occidental from Western Visayas.

The national data still includes Negros Occidental in Region 6. On the ground, Negros Occidental, which is now part of the Negros Island Region (NIR) together with Negros Oriental and Siquijor, is not included.

During the 2022 elections, Western Visayas had 5,026,482 registered voters, with Negros Occidental having the highest number with 1,946,639.

Meanwhile, Iloilo City Elections Assistant II Jonathan Sayno said they will have three satellite registrations this last week of August.

Registration was held at the barangay hall of Barangay Sto. Niño Sur in Arevalo, at the Fort San Pedro National High School, City Proper on Wednesday, August 28, and at the Ramon Avanceña National High School in Arevalo on Thursday, August 29.

The registrations for the rest of the week’s days will be at the Comelec-6 office.

All registrations in September will be in malls, including Robinsons Mall on the first week, SM City for the second week, Robinsons Jaro on the third week, and Festive Mall during the final week. (PNA)