ILOILO City – Over 50,000 poll workers in Region 6 have now received their honoraria for serving in the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
Commission on Elections (Comelec) director Atty. Dennis Ausan confirmed that all poll workers in the region were paid by Nov. 11. The payment was made days ahead of the deadline set for Tuesday, Nov. 14.
“Every member of the electoral boards (EB), Department of Education Supervising Officials (DESO), supervising officers, support staff, and Barangay Board of Canvassers who worked during the elections has been compensated,” Ausan told Panay News.
Legally, poll workers should receive their honoraria within 15 days post-elections. To expedite the process, some city and municipal election officers adopted a proactive approach. They visited schools directly to have teachers sign the payroll, avoiding delays that occur when teachers visit their offices.
Comelec Region 6 also took the initiative to inform poll workers early on about the necessary documentary requirements post-BSKE. This measure was aimed at speeding up the payroll processing.
Ausan pointed out that the region has historically seen smooth honoraria distribution due to the cooperative nature of poll workers and the efficiency of city/municipal election officers.
The compensation for electoral chairpersons and board members was notably increased from P6,000 and P5,000 to P10,000 and P9,000, respectively.
Additionally, Comelec has ensured the provision of P500,000 in death benefits and P200,000 in cash assistance for injuries per teacher, reflecting an increase in support for poll workers.
This year’s honoraria saw a significant increase compared to previous elections, in line with Comelec Resolution No. 10727. As per this resolution, the following honoraria are entitled:
* EB Chairperson — P7,000
* EB Members — P6,000
* DESO — P5,000
* Support Staff — P3,000
* Medical Personnel — P3,000
Moreover, the EB chair, members, DESO, and support staff had already received a P2,000 travel allowance, divided into two parts: P1,000 during the final testing and sealing of voting machines, and P1,000 on election day.
Medical personnel were granted a P1,000 travel allowance on the election day.
In Region 6, there were 5,622 clustered precincts. Each of these precincts was managed by three EB members: a chairperson, a poll clerk, and a third member./PN
