MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced Monday it has started "all administrative and operational preparations" for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, despite fresh calls for its postponement.

"All administrative and operational preparations for the December 5, 2022 BSKE have been commenced (and are on-going), upon the direction of the Commission en banc, with Comm. Rey E. Bulay as the Commissioner-in-Charge," Comelec acting spokesman Rex Laudiangco said in a statement.

Preparatory activities include the drafting of implementing resolutions, procurement of ballot paper and other election supplies, procurement of printing services for the official ballots, revisiting of health protocols, and resumption of voter registration.

The Comelec is eyeing July 4 as the beginning of the new cycle of voter registration, Laudiangco said.

The poll body is projecting the number of registered voters for the barangay elections at 66,053,357, while voter tally for SK polls is pegged at 23,059,227.

The barangay elections have been deferred thrice since 2016, with the latest postponement moving the polls to December 2022 through a law.

During the campaign, now President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said he planned to revisit the term periods of officials in the barangay and SK, the smallest political units in the Philippines. He said barangay and SK terms could be fixed at 5 years instead of the current 3 years.

• Marcos wants 5-year terms for barangay, SK officials

Incoming House members eye deferring the barangay elections to save funds for a stimulus bill, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez said in May.

• Marcos must find new source of funds for economic stimulus: lawmaker
• 19th Congress seen to prioritize deferring barangay polls, pass 'BBM' stimulus package

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