Malacaņang declares Oct. 29 a special non-working holiday
Manila (18 October) -- Malacaņang has declared Oct. 29, Monday, a special non-working holiday throughout the country for the synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
Proclamation No. 1403, signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday, Oct. 16, states that: "It is important to give the people the fullest opportunity to participate in the said elections and exercise their right to vote."
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has said that 51,376,318 registered voters--- 48,221,863 for barangay and 3,154,455 for SK polls--are expected to troop to 238,486 precincts established for the Oct. 29 polls.
Voters are expected to elect a total of 671,120 barangay and SK officials in 41,945 barangays nationwide.
The synchronized barangay and SK elections are based on the newly amended Republic Act No. 9340, approved on Sept. 22, 2005 by the 13th Congress of the Philippines which prescribed that the said polls would occur on the last Monday of October 2007 and in subsequent elections after three years.
The last synchronized barangay and SK polls were held in July 2002. (OPS) [top]
