NPO unveils new facilities to house printers for 2013 poll ballots

Comelec Officials tour the new facilities of the NPO where the ballots for the 2013 election will be printed.

MANILA, Philippines — The National Printing Office (NPO) with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) unveiled Wednesday their new facilities that will be used for the printing of the 2013 election ballots.

These include a new basement area where the printing machines are located, fully airconditioned, and with CCTV and security equipment.

Present during the ceremonial ribbon cutting and blessing were Comelec Commissioners Elias Yusoph, Armando Velasco, Grace Padaca, Christian Robert Lim, Lucenito Tagle, and Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr.

They were joined by Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, and NPO Director Emmanuel Andaya who toured the Comelec officials around the new facilities.

The new facilities will house the three brand new ballot printing machines leased by the NPO, Andaya said. They will be working round the clock to print the ballots for the 2013 elections.

The machines have all undergone sufficient testing and “are ready anytime” to go full swing with the printing of the ballots, Andaya said.

They are on target to reach the deadline for printing of all ballots by April 25, he said.