Comelec Chairman George Garcia inspects priority polling centers in Silang Central Elementary School on May 12 (Carla Bauto Deña/MANILA BULLETIN)

CAVITE - Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia inspected priority polling centers in Silang Central Elementary School morning on Monday, May 12.

Early voting hours, scheduled from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., were allotted for senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and pregnant women.

"First time natin itong ginawa at tayo'y natutuwa dahil alam n’yo po, kaninang mga alas dos nang madaling araw, nagsimula nang dumagsa ang mga mga miyembro po ng electoral board, kasama ang mga election watcher para pasimulan ang paghahanda doon sa mga kagamitan (This is our first time doing this, and we’re glad because, as early as 2 a.m., members of the electoral board along with election watchers had already started arriving to begin preparing the election materials),” Garcia said.

A senior citizen assisted by her companion during early voting hours in Silang Central Elementary School on May 12 (Carla Bauto Deña/MANILA BULLETIN)

The Comelec chief said the early voting hours were expected to accommodate 12 million senior citizens, 530,000 PWDs, and their companions who would assist them.

During his inspection, Garcia talked with some of the early voters, including one who had a heart condition.

“Mas minarapat niyang mauna para hindi siya kasabay nang karamihan… ‘Yun ang purpose talaga kung bakit inilatag natin ang 5:00-7:00 a.m. na ito (He preferred to come early so he wouldn’t have to be with the crowd… That’s exactly the reason we established this 5:00 to 7:00 a.m. early voting window),” the Comelec chairman said.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia talks to early voters in Silang Central Elementary School on May 12 (Carla Bauto Deña/MANILA BULLETIN)

Apart from those with health conditions, Garcia also noted that early voting benefits seniors whose livelihoods require them to start their day before sunrise.

“Lalo na po 'yung mga nagbubukid, mga nagta-trabaho sa kanilang mga bukid, alam natin mas maaga silang gumigising, mas maaga silang pumupunta sa bukid and therefore, mas makikinabang sila sa ating early voting (Especially for those who farm and work in the fields, we know they wake up early and head out to work early, so they’ll benefit the most from our early voting schedule).”

One of the early voters, 72-year-old Zenaida Chew, said she experienced an issue in her designated voting room.

“Pinaka-kuwan na ko 'dun sa una, wala nga, pagdating ko sa kabila, 'yung nandun, hindi pa nahahanap nang mabuti, sinabi kaagad wala, balik ako sa kabila. Doon na ako nainis, ang aga (“I was led to the first room, but they said I was not on the list. When I went to the other side, they could not find my name and immediately told me I was not listed there either, so I had to go back. That’s when I got frustrated, and it was so early),” Chew told the media.

Despite the inconvenience, she said she is glad she took advantage of the early voting hours so she could fulfill her religious obligations later in the day.

“Kasi sa simbahan ako, prayer warrior kami… Mas okay ngayon, maaga nga, hindi pa mainit, okay naman (I serve at church, we’re prayer warriors… It is better now, it is early, not hot yet, so it is okay).”

Senior citizen and early voter Zenaida Chew shows her ink-stained finger after casting her vote in Silang Central Elementary School on May 12 (Carla Bauto Deña/MANILA BULLETIN)