Handa na sa eleksyon!
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), in coordination with the Commission
on Elections (COMELEC), has successfully implemented the Certification of Electoral
Board (EB) Members for the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE) in compliance with
Republic Act No. 9369, which mandates that at least one (1) member of each EB shall be
certified by the DOST as an information technology (IT)-capable person to use the Automated
Election System (AES). The initiative covered the certification of teaching and non-teaching
personnel from the Department of Education (DepEd) nationwide, and the certification of
Special Board of Election Inspectors for Overseas Voting.
A total of 167,667 EB members passed the certification process achieving a national
passing rate of 91.77%. 616 DOST certifiers were mobilized across 18 regions, including
the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the newly
established Negros Island Region (NIR) to administer the theoretical and practical
examinations for 182,711 EB members. Further an additional 109 Special Electoral Board
members were certified for Local Absentee Voting (LAV), ensuring robust electoral support
for absentee voters.
The DOST certifiers also administered certification examinations to 186 officials and staff of
Philippine Embassies and Consulates General who will serve as members of the Special
Board of Election Inspectors (SBEIs) for Filipino Overseas Voting in Asia Pacific, Middle
East, Europe, North and Latin America, and Africa.
A total of 2,921 uniformed personnel, designated as Special Electoral Board (SEB)
members, were likewise certified from March 18 to April 8, 2025, across several regions. Their
participation is essential to ensuring and promoting peaceful, orderly, and credible elections.
Spearheaded by DOST-National Capital Region (DOST-NCR), with support from all DOST
Regional Offices and attached agencies, the Program integrated digital innovations such as
the DOST EB Certification Portal. This platform streamlined examination processes through
automated test checking, real-time data consolidation, and secure records management,
significantly enhancing operational efficiency.
In addition to certification efforts, the DOST deployed 203 IT-proficient personnel to support
the operations of the 108 Technical Hubs established nationwide. These personnel were
tasked with the configuration and testing of USB storage devices and smartcard security keys,
in accordance with COMELEC protocols. Their assignments covered both the Final Testing
and Sealing (FTS) period from May 2 to 7, 2025, and election day operations, ensuring
technical readiness and data security.
The DOST remains committed to upholding the integrity of the electoral process by
contributing its scientific and technological expertise in support | Emerson V. Enriquez
