158,555 registered voters in Kalinga; COMELEC resumes registration for 2028 polls

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Commission on Elections (COMELEC)-Kalinga has resumed voter registration, giving eligible residents another opportunity to register or update their records ahead of the May 2028 National and Local Elections.

The nationwide registration resumed on November 10, 2026, and will continue until July 30, 2027, allowing first-time voters and previously registered voters who need to transfer, reactivate or correct their records to complete the necessary applications.

The announcement was made through COMELEC's official Facebook page on November 4.

Under the COMELEC-Kalinga advisory, registration at local election offices will be conducted from Tuesday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Scheduled Saturday and holiday registration activities will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Residents may register at the Office of the Election Officer covering their place of residence or through designated satellite and mall registration sites, the Register Anywhere Program (RAP), and the Special Register Anywhere Program (SRAP).

The services cover first-time voter registration, transfer of registration records, reactivation of deactivated records, change of name or correction of entries, and inclusion or reinstatement in the voters' list. Applications for transferring registration records from foreign service posts to local registration offices will also be accepted.

COMELEC will likewise accommodate updates to the records of persons with disabilities (PWDs), senior citizens, Indigenous Peoples (IPs), Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs), and other vulnerable sectors.

Applicants are advised to bring a valid government-issued identification document. COMELEC clarified that barangay certifications and community tax certificates, or cedula, will not be accepted as proof of identity for registration.

Kalinga has over 158,000 registered voters

Based on COMELEC statistics for the May 12, 2025 National and Local Elections, Kalinga had 158,555 registered voters, comprising 82,194 males and 76,361 females.

Tabuk City recorded the highest number with 74,572 registered voters, followed by Pinukpuk with 21,564; Rizal with 14,289; Tinglayan with 11,260; Tanudan with 10,017; Lubuagan with 9,890; Balbalan with 9,361; and Pasil with 7,592.

Of the province's registered voters, 53,852 were aged 18 to 30, while 79,145 were aged 31 to 59. Senior citizens aged 60 and above accounted for 25,558.

Kalinga recorded 140,554 actual voters during the May 2025 elections, equivalent to an 88.65-percent voter turnout. Tabuk City had 65,210 actual voters, with an 87.45-percent turnout.

However, the exact number of eligible Kalinga residents who remain unregistered has not been established in the available public data. The total population cannot be directly compared with the number of registered voters, as it includes residents below voting age and those who may not meet voter registration qualifications.

COMELEC targets 3 million additional voters nationwide

At the national level, COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the poll body is targeting around three million additional registered voters during the registration period.

Garcia said the country currently has approximately 71 million registered voters, with the target expected to increase the number to around 74 million for the 2028 elections.

The registration schedule was set following the postponement of the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE). Under Republic Act No. 12326, the terms of barangay and SK officials were extended to five years, moving the next BSKE to November 13, 2028.

Garcia also said the July 30, 2027 deadline would give COMELEC sufficient time to process applications, verify voter records and clean the voters' list before the end of 2027.

Applications approved by the Election Registration Boards will undergo fingerprint and signature verification through the Automated Fingerprint Identification System to help detect duplicate registrations.

With the 2028 elections approaching, eligible iKalingas are encouraged to register or update their voter records early to avoid missing the deadline and ensure their inclusion in the voters' list.

The resumption of registration is an important step in preparing for the next national and local polls, as it gives qualified residents the opportunity to participate in choosing the leaders who will represent them and shape the direction of their communities.