Bacolod city: The Negros Island Region (NIR) recorded a total of 241,422 registrants for the September 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) during the entire registration period from Oct. 20, 2025, to May 18, 2026, a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official said Tuesday. Lawyer Dindo Maglasang, assistant regional election director of Comelec-NIR, provided the details of the substantial voter registration turnout.
According to Philippines News Agency, Negros Occidental accounted for the largest share with 164,375 registrants, while Negros Oriental registered 72,081, and Siquijor saw 4,966 voters signing up. On the last day of registration, the Comelec accommodated 12,385 voter registration applications, Maglasang stated in an interview.
"We were able to accommodate all applicants who arrived at the registration sites before the 5 p.m. deadline since they had already completed their application forms and were waiting in line," Maglasang explained. In Bacolod City, registration activities extended until around 8 p.m. to ensure that everyone in line was accommodated, he added.
On the final registration day, Negros Occidental processed the highest number of applications with 7,545 registrants, followed by Negros Oriental with 4,391, and Siquijor with 449, based on Comelec-NIR records. Meanwhile, the Register Anywhere Program (RAP) recorded 338 registrants in Negros Occidental and 848 in Negros Oriental, while Siquijor reported no registrants under the program.
Maglasang noted that the RAP was suspended on the final day of registration to prevent confusion with regular voter registration procedures. Despite minor issues such as long queues in some areas, the registration process proceeded smoothly. Some applicants faced difficulties in filling out the voter registration forms, which slowed down processing despite assistance from Comelec personnel.
"We will study the issue to determine the cause and identify possible improvements," Maglasang said, clarifying that there were no changes to the registration form they have been using.
