MANILA, Philippines -- Four companies demonstrated their automated voting systems for the ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) polls before the Joint Oversight Committee on the Automated Elections at the Senate on Friday.

The Mega Data Corporation and Smartmatic Sahi joint venture presented their systems that use direct recording electronic (DRE) technology while Chatsworth ABS joint venture and Avante Technology Incorporated presented theirs using optical mark-reader (OMR) technology.

Alfred Padlan, business development manager of Mega Data Corp., presented Botong Pinoy, the company's voting system. Padlan said that the software would be donated to the government.

Meanwhile, Cesar Flores, sales director of International Sales of Smartmatic, demonstrated their machines for the voting system, along with their transmission and canvassing systems. Flores said that these machines could even be used in areas without electricity, as these came with batteries and inverters that could last for 16 hours.

Mark Hammergren of Chatsworth Data Corporation, and Kevin Chung, president and chief executive officer of Avante Technology Inc., presented theirs using mark readers or scanners.

DRE uses a touch-screen or touch-pad technology for voting, while OMR requires voters to complete a paper-based ballot which is then fed into a specially designed machine, similar to a scanner.