Comelec needs additional P9 billion for 2026 barangay, SK polls

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will need an additional P9 billion to conduct the postponed Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) next year, poll body chairman George Garcia said on Monday, Sept. 1.

During the House appropriations committee’s hearing on the Comelec budget, Garcia said their proposed 2026 budget does not include any allocation for the BSKE as they submitted the proposal before the measure postponing the polls was enacted.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law Republic Act 12232, resetting the BSKE from Dec. 1, 2025 to Nov. 2, 2026.

Garcia said of their P11-billion budget for the intended BSKE this year, P10 billion remained and it can be used for next year’s BSKE. But he said additional allocation is necessary.

“Kung may four million pong additional (voter registrants), kung wala tayong dagdag na honoraria sa mga guro, baka kailanganin natin ng P6 billion,” the chairperson explained.

[Translation: If there are four million additional voter registrants and we do not have additional honoraria for teachers, we would need additional P6 billion.]

“Kapag naman may additional na honoraria sa mga guro plus additional support staff bawat presinto, P19 billion ang kailangan natin. So, kailangan namin ng dagdag na P9 billion,” he said.

[Translation: If there is an additional honoraria for teachers and additional support staff in each precinct, we would need P19 billion. So, we need an additional P9 billion.]

Voter registration will resume in October this year until July next year. Garcia said there are currently 2.8 million new voters and they are expecting 1.2 million more to register.

Under the National Expenditure Program, the Comelec’s budget is P11.8 billion.

The country’s last BSKE was held in 2023.