DOST Certifies Electoral Board Members Nationwide 

Handa na sa eleksyon! 

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), in coordination with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), has successfully implemented the Certification of Electoral Board (EB) Members for the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE) in compliance with Republic Act No. 9369, which mandates that at least one (1) member of each EB shall be certified by the DOST as an information technology (IT)-capable person to use the Automated Election System (AES). The initiative covered the certification of teaching and non-teaching personnel from the Department of Education (DepEd) nationwide, and the certification of Special Board of Election Inspectors for Overseas Voting.  

A total of 167,667 EB members passed the certification process achieving a national passing rate of 91.77%. 616 DOST certifiers were mobilized across 18 regions, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the newly established Negros Island Region (NIR) to administer the theoretical and practical examinations for 182,711 EB members.   Further an additional 109 Special Electoral Board members were certified for Local Absentee Voting (LAV), ensuring robust electoral support for absentee voters. 

The DOST certifiers also administered certification examinations to 186 officials and staff of Philippine Embassies and Consulates General who will serve as members of the Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEIs) for Filipino Overseas Voting in Asia Pacific, Middle East, Europe, North and Latin America, and Africa.  

A total of 2,921 uniformed personnel, designated as Special Electoral Board (SEB) members, were likewise certified from March 18 to April 8, 2025, across several regions. Their participation is essential to ensuring and promoting peaceful, orderly, and credible elections. 

Spearheaded by DOST-National Capital Region (DOST-NCR), with support from all DOST Regional Offices and attached agencies, the Program integrated digital innovations such as the DOST EB Certification Portal. This platform streamlined examination processes through automated test checking, real-time data consolidation, and secure records management, significantly enhancing operational efficiency. 

In addition to certification efforts, the DOST deployed 203 IT-proficient personnel to support the operations of the 108 Technical Hubs established nationwide. These personnel were tasked with the configuration and testing of USB storage devices and smartcard security keys, in accordance with COMELEC protocols. Their assignments covered both the Final Testing and Sealing (FTS) period from May 2 to 7, 2025, and election day operations, ensuring technical readiness and data security. 

The DOST remains committed to upholding the integrity of the electoral process by contributing its scientific and technological expertise in support of national democratic exercises.