Comelec bags 3 awards at electoral affairs symposium

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) received three awards at the 19th International Electoral Affairs Symposium Awards Ceremony recently held in Lisbon, Portugal.

At the awarding ceremony organized by the International Center for Parliamentary Studies, the Comelec was awarded the Electoral Ergonomy Award, Electoral Conflict Management Award and Election Management Award.

Through the awarding ceremony held from Nov. 13 to 16, individuals and organizations who have made foundational contributions in the field of electoral affairs are recognized.

“Clinching these prestigious international awards would not be possible without Comelec’s invaluable partners, deputized agencies and civil society organizations who helped ensure the conduct of successful, peaceful and credible elections, not just the recently concluded Oct. 30, 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections but including all electoral exercises in years past,” the Comelec said in a statement.

“The Comelec is likewise boundlessly grateful to the Filipino people for their unwavering trust to the poll body and, perhaps most notably, for voting on election day as an exercise of their sacred right of suffrage,” it said.

“More than the accolades, these awards serve as a shining testament to the outstanding contributions made by each and every individual in the Commission, from our respected en banc and senior officials to the hardworking main and field staff as well as all election workers instrumental in every successful electoral exercise,” the poll body added.

Commissioners Socorro Inting, Marlon Casquejo, Aimee Ferolino, Rey Bulay and deputy executive director for administration Helen Aguila-Flores personally received the awards on behalf of the commission.

AES bidding

Meanwhile, the Comelec said it is considering to have at least five companies join the public bidding for the 2025 automated election system (AES) project.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia though said it would be better if there will be “more than” five companies that will submit their bids for the Full Automation System with Transparency Audit/Count or FASTrAC project this Nov. 28.

“We hope that there will be more than five participants. The more choices, the better it is for the Commission. There are many available technologies and counting machines now. It would be better if the Comelec will have more choices,” Garcia said in an interview.

The Comelec said that so far, only Smartmatic Philippines - TIM Inc., Pivot International and Miru Systems Co. Ltd. have purchased the bidding documents for the P18.8-billion project.

However, Garcia said he believes that there are still other potential service providers that will acquire the bidding documents.

The deadline for the submission of bids is on Nov. 28 at the special bids and awards committee secretariat office at 9 a.m. Meanwhile, the opening of bids is set 10:30 a.m. of the same day, at the Comelec Hall of the Palacio del Gobernador.