Comelec: Open day care centers on May 14

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is encouraging all local government units (LGUs) to open their day care centers during the May 14 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls to encourage more women to vote.

“We are encouraging all mayors and governors to open their day care centers so that women with small children can vote, so they can have full access to the elections,” said Elections Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, who is also the head of the poll body’s Gender and Development (GAD) Committee.

During the 2016 national and local elections, the Comelec en banc issued Resolution No. 10110, requiring all LGUs, specifically provincial, city and municipal governments, and barangays to open their day care centers on election day.

The Comelec had said the move was aimed to encourage women to vote without having to worry about their small children.

This came after they identified that one of the obstacles to women’s voting is the care for their children during election day as most mothers have difficulty finding somebody to take care of their children while they cast their votes.

Guanzon added that they would also ask the help of the Department of the Interior and Local Government to amplify their call to the LGUs.

“We want mothers to bring their children and leave them there (day cares) safely so that they can vote,” Guanzon said.