DOST Eastern Visayas certifies 11,313 teachers as capable to use vote machines

TACLOBAN CITY, May 5 (PNA) -– The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has certified 11,313 members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) as technology-capable in the use of vote counting machines (VCMs) on May 9.

DOST Regional Director Edgardo Esperancilla said that of the 11,530 takers, only 217 BEIs failed or a passing rate of 98 percent in the six provinces of the region.

“These BEIs have gone through the certification process which has two stages - the written and the practical examination. The examination process determines the capability of BEIs to operate the VCMs,” Esperancilla said.

Of the 11,313 BEIs, 4,650 will serve in Leyte province, 2,205 in Samar, 1,530 in Northern Samar, 1,307 in Eastern Samar, 1,222 in Southern Leyte, and 399 in Biliran.

BEI members, who are mostly public school teachers, were trained by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the proper handling of VCMs and ballots prior to the certification.

The poll automation law requires at least one member of the BEI as an information technology-capable, trained or certified by the DOST on the automated election system.

Each clustered precinct has three election inspectors. The region has 17,262 BEIs assigned in 5,754 polling center

DOST began the certification program during the 2010 Presidential Elections which was also the country’s first automated elections.

The certification program is a partnership Comelec, DOST, and Department of Education (DepEd).

The three agencies inked agreement for this year’s elections on January 28, 2016. (PNA)
FFC/SARWELL Q. MENIANO