Island barangay of Dinagat town attests to ACMs’ tenacity
By Renelle L. Escuadro
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) – The tenacity of the automated counting machines (ACMs) was attested in the island barangay of Cabayawan in the town of Dinagat — with no electricity and stable connectivity.
Municipal Election Officer Eugene Fred D. Ravelo confirmed the timely and uninterrupted conduct of the national and local elections of 483 voters at Cabayawan Elementary School in Barangay Cabayawan, Dinagat, Province of Dinagat Islands on May 12.
In an interview with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) – Government Information Center Coordinator in Dinagat Islands, Ravelo lauded the new machine saying, “The ACM is resilient as it is built and designed to guarantee that even voters in the islands and geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) can exercise their right to vote regardless of the distance, challenges on electricity and connectivity, among others.”
With no electricity, the ACM, with the use of its battery as stand-alone power, sustained the election process with the voting center opened and accommodated voters as early as 5 a.m. and sustained until 7 p.m. on election day, confirming the stamina of the automated counting machine’s battery that could last up to 18 hours.
Despite the concern on intermittent connection, the transmission of poll results was also made in the island barangay through the use of the ACM’s USB (universal serial bus) modem that could get internet from two identified telcos.
Ravelo added, “The hardware of the ACM is waterproof, such as its hard case and the ballot box, so it was easier for the electoral board from the Department of Education, together with the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard, to transport and deploy the unit to Barangay Cabayawan with sea travel time of nearly 30 minutes from the town proper.”
The voters of Barangay Cabayawan, who relied on solar light and generator set and with unstable connectivity, thanked the government for making the recently concluded midterm elections inclusive, bringing the voting place closer to the voters, a testament that no one should be left behind in the exercise of suffrage.
Ravelo also shared that out of the 10 cluster precincts in Dinagat, two are island barangays, while one is along the coast. Another two barangays in the town are identified as GIDA with two Starlink units installed for the elections due to zero connectivity.
“Notwithstanding the geographical challenge of the town, Dinagat was the first to transmit vote results to the canvassing site in the Province of Dinagat Islands,” he said. (RLE, PIA Dinagat Islands)
