MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is all set to provide training and certification to over 210,000 members of electoral boards (EBs) serving in the automated election system (AES) for the 2022 national elections.
Science Secretary Fortunato dela Peña said they are ready to roll out the training and certification program for the EBs serving in the national and local elections this March in time for the May polls.
The EBs, formerly known as Board of Election Inspectors, are composed of teachers from the Department of Education chosen based on the criteria of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Before their deployment in the field in May, the DOST said EBs must complete a series of training programs, including the DOST Certification Program.
The Amended Automated Election Law or Republic Act 9369 requires the DOST to oversee the certification of members of the EBs as information technology-capable people who can utilize the vote counting machine (VCM).
Its goals are to implement the DOST certification portal and train certifiers on how to use the VCM, incorporate/update certification materials/ paraphernalia in light of enhancements, modifications or changes in the VCMs to be used in the polls and conduct certification of EBs in preparation for the 2022 AES.
There will be 210,320 EBs serving in the national and local elections, the DOST said.
Engineer Jose Patalinjug III, DOST-NCR regional director, said the training and certification program is targeted to roll out by March, two months before the elections.
The program, he said, was meant to ensure that EBs have adequate competencies in using the ballot reader and various automated equipment and machines under the AES.
Patalinjug said the DOST has implemented the program in previous elections ever since the Comelec had put the AES in place.