ALBAY, Philippines – “Mga three minutes lang ako sa luwas, might nag-assist nang trainer/watcher. Maayos talaga na pagpasok mo ng [school] gate, meron nang katulong,” mentioned Norberto Vesmonte, chairman of Visually Impaired Voice in Albay (VIVA) cooperative and a visually impaired voter from Bitano, Legazpi Metropolis.
(I solely waited for round three minutes outdoors, then a trainer or watcher already assisted me. It was very nice that simply after getting into the [school] gate, somebody would already help you.)
Certainly, in comparison with earlier years, individuals with disabilities (PWDs) say that they had a significantly better voting expertise within the 2025 elections than in earlier polls.
Early voting hours spared them from lengthy queues that common voters should undergo. Precedence polling stations, often positioned on the bottom flooring of the voting facilities, have been supplied for simple entry, particularly for individuals who discover it onerous to climb stairs. Fee on Elections (Comelec)-assigned employees additionally assisted them in issues like discovering their precincts.
However a lot stays to be completed earlier than PWDs can totally notice their voting rights beneath the Structure.
Precise inclusivity
Regardless of all of the efforts and improvements that the Comelec has completed, it can’t be mentioned that the elections are totally inclusive but.
Maureen Mata, a disability-advocate from the Transfer as One Coalition, noticed that the latest election was considerably higher than the earlier ones. That is mirrored in the upper voter turnout of PWDs within the Could 12 nationwide and native elections.
Nevertheless, sure lapses within the preparations for the precise voting day have been nonetheless evident, equivalent to on data dissemination.
In accordance with Mata, there have been confusions with the early voting hours and precedence polling locations (PPP) and accessible polling locations (APP) within the areas that they monitored.
A few of the senior residents and PWDs thought that they have been solely allowed to vote from 5 am to 7 am. However they have been really allowed and given precedence to vote till 7 pm, it’s simply that they got an unique length within the morning so that they gained’t should queue with common voters. Moreover, a few of the susceptible voters additionally obtained confused with the APPs and PPPs.
Mata advised that Comelec embrace representatives from precise susceptible organizations within the post-election evaluation in order that they may know the PWDs’ first-hand experiences.
Additionally they noticed that the Comelec lacks manpower who can help susceptible voters, and the scarcity in cheap lodging for folks with several types of disabilities.
“Accessibility is actually our primary precedence. As soon as na nakalatag ito (that is in place), we are going to actually really feel that we’re protected and that we belong,” she mentioned.
Abner Manlapaz, co-founder of Life Haven Middle for Impartial Residing, additionally known as on the federal government to co-develop with organizations of PWDs plans to progressively implement a totally accessible voting system. “Individuals with disabilities have the identical proper as everybody else,” he mentioned.
Missed
Amongst PWDs, visually impaired residents are sometimes essentially the most missed among the many susceptible sectors, mentioned Vesmonte. “Sa lahat ng mga PWDs na might kakayahang magtrabaho, kami yung least na pinagtutuunan ng pansin,” he mentioned in an interview with Rappler. (Amongst all PWDs which are able to working, we’re given the least consideration.)
In accordance with supplemental stories from the Division of Well being (DOH) and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) as of July 2023, there have been 592,000 blind Filipinos. Majority of them are poor and uneducated. In the meantime, 2,179,733 Filipinos have low imaginative and prescient and different associated visible impairment.
Throughout the 2025 nationwide and native elections, a complete of 30,005 individuals PWDs from the six provinces in Bicol forged their votes. Primarily based on the information by Comelec Bicol, amongst them have been 5,962 voters from Albay. Nevertheless, the precise variety of visually impaired voters residing in Bicol just isn’t available.
The Structure says Congress is meant to design a process for the disabled and the illiterates to vote with out the help of different individuals. The Comelec, nevertheless, doesn’t present for assistive units for individuals with visible impairments.
In 2012, Congress enacted Republic Act 10366 or the Accessible Polling Locations (APPs) Act, which goals to get rid of bodily obstacles to susceptible sectors, equivalent to senior residents and PWDs.
Amongst different issues, the regulation supplies for separate voting precincts known as the APPs for PWDs and senior residents. These polling locations are sometimes positioned on the bottom flooring of the voting facilities for simple entry, particularly for individuals who discover it onerous to climb stairs.
Maria Juana Valeza, Comelec Bicol regional director, mentioned this initiative was a part of their advocacy in giving not simply the common voters, but in addition the members of the susceptible sector the best voting expertise. “That is one in all our amenities for them. To make it handy for these members of the susceptible sector,” she mentioned.
Voting assistants
The regulation additionally says these precincts are purported to be supplied with needed providers, together with assistive units. Nevertheless, Valeza mentioned there aren’t any directives from their major workplace about this but.
Jaynie Marilag, a visually impaired voter from Guinobatan, Albay, voted with the help of her niece. In the meantime, Vesmonte didn’t have any family with him so he was assisted by a employees from Comelec.
Noel Marquez, one other visually impaired voter from Bitano, Albay, mentioned that even when the federal government supplies them with assistive units equivalent to braille and audio units to assist them vote, these can be ineffective since most of them are usually not even able to studying and writing.
“Bihira man sa mga visually impaired arog mi ang nakatapos mag-iskwela, kaya dawa magka-igwa na arog kaan na brayle ngaya, wara man giraray ta dae man kami tatao,” he mentioned.
(It’s uncommon for visually impaired folks like us to have completed faculty, so even when there can be one thing like braille, it nonetheless doesn’t matter as a result of we don’t know find out how to use it.)
Marquez was assisted by his 27-year-old daughter on election day. His daughter shaded his poll for him however he himself rigorously selected his most well-liked candidates earlier than election day.
He mentioned that authorities’s help for folks like him is extraordinarily missing. “Kulang na kulang man ang suporta sa mga PWD didi, lalong na sa trabaho at edukasyon,” Marquez mentioned. (The help for PWDs in our nation could be very missing, particularly in terms of job alternatives and training.)
Since few employers rent PWDs, most of them simply decide to reside as beggars, Marquez mentioned.
He famous that even fundamental instruments that can assist them stroll are onerous to entry. “Ultimo ngani white cane na magagamit, pahirapan pa makahagad sa DSWD (Division of Social Welfare and Improvement,” Marquez mentioned. (Even white canes that we will use are very tough to request from DSWD.)
Marquez mentioned that it’s ineffective to attend for help from authorities businesses such because the DSWD as a result of it takes such a very long time to reach. He added it’s higher to purchase the cane than to attend for one thing that may not come in any respect.
Secrecy of ballots
Not all PWDs can forged their votes with out human help as a result of ballots are usually not in an accessible format.
Abner Manlapaz, co-founder of Life Haven Middle for Impartial residing, emphasised that not all PWDs can forged their votes in secret.
“Folks with disabilities [worry] if their ballots have been actually dealt with with care and respect, and whether or not their votes have been counted,” he mentioned in an interview with Rappler.
Marquez mentioned he voted for candidates that he believes are able to making the nation a greater place, particularly for residents like him. But when the voters are usually not capable of see their votes for themselves, how can they verify that their proper was actually used to vote for the folks they need to help?
A number of watchdog teams took on this position to safe the equity and accuracy of the lately concluded election.
Marcelina Velasco, a volunteer from the Pastoral Parish Council for Accountable Voting (PPCRV), mentioned that they be sure that solely the volunteer and the voter who wants help are conscious of their decisions whereas voting.
“Ang tigagibo namon dyan, tigbabasa namon ang mga pangaran na nasa balota, saka namon sinda tiga-unga kung sisay ang gusto nindang iboto. Ang nakakaaram lang ay ang volunteer tsaka ang botante,” Velasco mentioned in an interview with Rappler.
(What we do there may be learn out the names on the poll, after which we mark the selection of the individual we’re helping, based mostly on who they need to vote for. Solely the volunteer and the voter know the selection.)
She famous that they solely do that if the voter is alone or if the voter’s relative additionally asks for his or her help.
“Kung ano ang sinabi ng botante, sinusunod namin ‘yon. Pagkatapos ninda bumoto, binabasa giraray namon ang nasa resibo para masiguro ninda na tama, saka namon tighuhulog sa field,” she added.
(Regardless of the voter says, we comply with it. After they vote, we learn the receipt to them once more to allow them to be sure that it’s appropriate, after which we drop it into the field.)
They do that to guarantee the voters that they voted for the names that they selected themselves.
Regardless of the difficulties, voters from the susceptible sector are decided to vote as a result of they expertise the shortage of help and a focus to them first-hand.
In 2028 elections, they look ahead to a greater voting expertise. – Rappler.com
Hershey Juan is a 3rd 12 months journalism scholar at Bicol College. An Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow of Rappler for 2025, she can be a public relations employees member of The Bicol Universitarian.
