About three-fourths of voters in Baliuag have voted “yes” to make their town the fourth component city of Bulacan province, early results of a plebiscite showed Saturday night.
A SuperRadyo DZBB report quoting the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said that 75 percent of the voters in the town, in a partial and unofficial tally, agreed with the ratification of Republic Act 11929, which will convert the first-class municipality in northern Bulacan into a component city.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia earlier said the result of the plebiscite would be out by around 10:30 last night.
A total of 108,572 registered voters from 27 barangays were expected to cast their votes manually until 3 p.m. Saturday, he said. The 200 clustered precincts in 26 voting centers in the town opened at 7 a.m.
Once ratified, Baliwag will become Bulacan’s latest component city after Meycauayan, San Jose del Monte, and the provincial capital Malolos.
“By 10:30 to 11:00 in the evening, we will be able to find out what the people of Baliwag want,” the poll body chief said, adding that the counting of ballots is expected to be faster as they have formed sub-canvassing committees.
Garcia also said they are expecting at least a 60 to 65 percent voter turnout.
In an interview on Thursday, Mayor Ferdinand Estrella said their annual P330-million Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) would double to P660 million once the municipality becomes a city.
Estrella said this fund would enable the local government to spend more on projects that would directly benefit the residents
“This bigger IRA is more than enough to cover the needs of the 168,470 people of Baliwag,” Estrella said.
According to the mayor, he has been visiting the town’s 27 villages ahead of the plebiscite to convince voters to support the cityhood.
Meanwhile, The Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported Saturday the success of the pilot testing of the Register Anywhere Project (RAP) held at malls in Metro Manila, Leyte province, and the Bicol Region.
Comelec’s Garcia said they received reports of high turnouts.
“We are monitoring every mall. Initially very successful. Security guards registered first. This is a good start,” he said in an interview at SM Fairview in Quezon City.
The RAP is scheduled on weekends until Jan. 22, 2023, except on Dec. 24, 25, and 31, and Jan. 1.
Other venues are SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, SM Southmall in Las Piñas, Robinsons Place in Ermita, Manila, and Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas, Quezon City.
The provincial venues are Robinsons North in Tacloban City, SM City in Legazpi City, Albay, and Robinsons Place in Naga City, Camarines Sur.