VOTERS in Cagayan de Oro City welcomed the convenience of mall voting on Monday, as polling precincts opened inside major commercial centers to provide a more accessible and comfortable voting experience.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) partnered with several malls to serve as voting centers for Cagayan de Oro’s urban barangays 1 to 40, which used to be clustered at the City Central School (CCS). Only barangays 1 to 20 and 25 were retained at CCS. Barangays 31 to 40 were assigned to Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School, while barangays 21, 22, and 23 were assigned to Corrales Elementary School.
Ayala Centrio Mall hosted barangays 24, 27, 28 and 29, while barangays 26 and 30 were at the SM Downtown Premiere. Barangays 33, 35, and 36 were located at Robinson’s Activity Center.
The initiative is part of Comelec’s efforts to improve voter turnout and accommodate persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and pregnant women.
“At first, medyo na annoyed ko nga I went early to City Central School, only to find out nga ipa adto pa ko sa Centrio,” said Pat Pangantihon, a voter of Barangay 29.
“But when I got to the mall, I found the accommodations better than what I would have expected at the public school classrooms. Chairs were provided at the waiting area at the mall’s park, and the voting precincts were inside the air-conditioned activity center. It was quite a respite from the city’s high heat index.”
Several other voters expressed their approval at the precincts’ mall locations, saying it made the waiting time more bearable. Some voters in line went into the open stores to purchase refreshments.
There were a few minor hiccups, with some voters losing their way inside Centrio Mall, as no clear signages were telling where people are supposed to go.
“That’s what Comelec needs to address. There were cases where the Board of Election Inspector turned away voters in my precinct because they were supposed to get a small slip of paper from those who manned the precinct finder wall near the entrance,” added Pangantihon. “They were turning away voters because they wanted to make it easy for themselves to do their jobs?”
However, other voters found casting their votes in a mall convenient.
Voter turnout in Ayala Centrio was observed to peak at around 11 am with an estimated 600 voters at that time.
“This is more convenient, especially for the elderly and people like me with mobility issues. It’s cool, organized, and I didn’t have to walk far,” said Lourderico Pedimonte, 64, who voted at Centrio Mall.
Security remained tight throughout the day, with police officers, mall security, and volunteers assisting voters. Designated help desks were set up to guide individuals to their assigned precincts.
This reporter was even turned away at the Robinsons voting area, with a Comelec officer telling him that taking pictures within the area was not allowed. He also declined to make a statement to the reporter.
Comelec Region 10 Director lawyer Renato Magbutay said mall voting is meant to “ensure safe, accessible, and inclusive elections.”
He added that feedback from voters has been largely positive, especially regarding comfort and crowd management.
As of mid-afternoon, local election officials reported no major incidents and described the process as smooth and efficient.
Voting is expected to continue until the official closing time at 7 pm, with final turnout figures to follow.
Authorities reminded voters to bring valid identification, follow health and safety protocols, and remain patient amid occasional delays due to high turnout.
Cagayan de Oro is one of several cities in the Philippines participating in Comelec’s mall voting pilot project for the 2025 midterm elections.
