CEBU CITY - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) noted a slower turnout of registrants for the mid-term elections on May 12, 2025, an election official said on Monday. Omar Sharif Dilangalen Mamalinta, spokesperson of the Commission on Elections (Comelec)-Central Visayas, said despite the slower attendance from July 1 to Sept. 28 of those wanting to register or transfer registration, there was still an increase in the number of applicants. 'Based on our observations, we have a slower turnout. The good thing is that we see a five percent increase since the last elections,' Mamalinta told the Philippine News Agency. Comelec-7 recorded 4,366,583 registrants during the last elections, the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections in 2023. The increase is expected to hit at least more than 218,000 new registrants. The Comelec has done its part to accommodate those who want to participate in next year's election, he said. 'We are on duty even on Saturdays and holidays. We have only Sundays as our rest day ,' he added. Right now, only Bohol and Cebu are covered under Comelec-7, since the Negros Oriental and Siquijor provinces are now part of Negros Island Region (NIR). Mamalinta praised the Register Anywhere Program (RAP) of the Comelec main office, saying that the registration initiatives provided workers and students a venue to register or transfer registration outside their respective provinces, adding that this program decongest major registration sites here. Source: Philippines News Agency