Turnover Ceremony for The Project for Raising Voters’ Awareness and Promoting Digitalization of Electoral Process in Bangsamoro

On 19 March 2025, Ambassador ENDO Kazuya attended the turnover ceremony for the Japanese grant “The Project for Raising Voters’ Awareness and Promoting Digitalization of Electoral Process in Bangsamoro.” Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman Atty. George Erwin M. Garcia and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative Dr. Selva Ramachandran attended the ceremony held at the COMELEC office in Intramuros, Manila.
 

In August 2024, the Government of Japan provided a grant of JPY 234 million for the project which aims to support the inclusive and transparent implementation of the upcoming elections in the Bangsamoro region by the UNDP for 1.5 years. During the ceremony, satellite communication units, servers, and SD-WAN solutions were turned over to the COMELEC in support of the digitalization of critical electoral processes. These equipment are expected to aid in the accurate dissemination of information on candidates and political parties to the public and effective communication and transparency to increase voters’ awareness and participation in both the Bangsamoro Parliamentary and barangay elections.

As the Bangsamoro region prepares for its first local elections, Ambassador Endo expressed his hope that “each ballot cast in these elections form the firm foundation of a stable and prosperous Bangsamoro region.”