The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will reopen voter registration from August 1 to 10, 2025, in preparation for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) scheduled on December 1, 2025.
Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia announced on Wednesday that the en banc has already approved the 10-day nationwide registration period, particularly to accommodate youth voters aged 15 to 17 who are qualified to vote in the SK elections.
“This registration is critical, especially for youth voters. We will open the process from August 1 to 10 so those aged 15 to 17 can be included,” Garcia said.
Comelec initially planned to hold the registration in July. However, it was deferred due to developments in Congress—specifically the approval of a bicameral conference committee report pushing to extend the term of barangay and SK officials from three to four years and move the elections to the first Monday of November 2026.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to decide whether to sign or veto the measure.
Garcia explained that they cannot afford to take chances in case the proposed postponement is blocked or a restraining order is issued. “If the elections push through on December 1 or if there’s a sudden court order, we need to ensure that youth voters are registered,” he said.
“We’re confident we can meet the timeline. And even if the elections don’t happen this year, at least we’ve already registered new voters,” Garcia added.
To expand accessibility, Comelec is also launching a “Register Anywhere Program” (RAP) within Metro Manila. The initiative aims to allow voter registration in high-traffic areas such as hospitals, call centers, and bus terminals.
“This will be rolled out first in NCR as a pilot test. If it succeeds, we’ll expand this program during future nationwide registration drives,” Garcia explained.
The 2025 BSKE remains set for December 1, unless Congress or the President officially changes the schedule.
