Tarlac teachers undergo VCM training

TARLAC, Philippines – Public school teachers in this province are currently undergoing training to learn how to operate the new Vote Counting Machines (VCM) from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and obtain certification from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

According to lawyer Gilbert Almario, provincial election supervisor, the two-day training for public school teachers began last March 1 and will run until March 24. On the first day, a lecture and a written exam are prepared for teachers and on the second day, they take practical exams.

Teachers who fail the written or practical exams will have the opportunity for a retake.

“This election we will be using SD cards instead of CF cards which had problems in the past. These VCM’s are more user-friendly and give the voter the option to view his or her voted candidates after processing his or her ballots,” Almario said.

The Comelec will prepare the lecture, while exams will be checked by the DOST.

Engr. Romeolito G. Tacbian, Tarlac DOST provincial director, said they are “mandated by law to implement the certification program.” The law says one member pf the Board of Election Inspectors should be “”information technology-capable” trained or certified by the DOST to use the Automated Election System.

The two-day teacher training provided free accommodation and travel allowance for participants.

Tarlac province has 480 polling centers with 1,229 clustered precincts and a total of 739,526 voters for the May 2016 elections. – Rappler.com