The Commission on Elections (Comelec) described the first day of its Register Anywhere Project (RAP) on Saturday, Dec. 17, as “successful.”
“Ito ang unang araw ng Registered Anywhere Project...Nakamonitor po kami sa lahat ng ating RAP sites...initially po napaka-successful (This was the first day of the Registered Anywhere Project...We have been monitoring all our RAP sites...initially it was very successful),” said Comelec Chairman George Garcia in an interview.
“Nakakatuwa dahil kaya naman pala nating gawin ito, bakit hindi pa natin ginawa noon? But just the same, better late than never. Ito po'y magandang simula, pero sana naman ay tangkilikin ng ating mga kababayan (We are happy that we can do this. Why haven't we done it before? But just the same, better late than never. This is a good start, but I hope our citizens will patronize this),” he said.
Comelec Commissioner Ernesto Ferdinand Maceda Jr. urged the public to participate in the RAP.
“We brought the registration to you so that it would become easier. You don't have to go to the election offices where you will have to wait in long queues under the heat of the sun,” said Maceda.
“This you can do in the luxury and comfort of the air conditioned malls, which we are doing in partnership with Robinsons malls and SM malls,” he added.
Maceda said that the RAP will also soon be conducted in other government offices.
“ comfortable area where you can do a few steps. We assure you that we will try our best to make this as easy as possible. We know that if you have to wait long, if there are difficulties then that is equivalent to you deciding against registering and for us, we do not want that to happen,” he said.
“Please tell your neighbors, tell your fellow workers. You don’t have to go to the election office of your residence. Just hop on over to your nearest mall... then it will be followed by RAP pilot sites GSIS, Senate and House of Representatives and also in the provinces,” he added.
To note, any qualified applicants residing anywhere in the country can register at the RAP booths.The RAP will be until Jan. 22, 2023— every Saturday and Sunday, except Dec. 24, 25, and 31, 2022 as well as Jan. 1, 2023, the Comelec said.
The RAP is being held at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, SM Fairview in Quezon City, SM Southmall in Las Piñas City, Robinson’s Place Manila, Robinson’s Galleria in Quezon City, Robinson’s Mall Tacloban in Barangay Baras Baras, Tacloban City; SM City Legazpi in Legazpi City, Albay; and Robinson’s Mall Naga in Naga City, Camarines Sur.