The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the Philippines initiated the distribution of 7.5 million ballots across Metro Manila on May 6, marking the conclusion of its nationwide ballot deployment less than a week before the scheduled election day.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia announced that eight cities—Caloocan, Marikina, Pasig, Valenzuela, Quezon City, Malabon, Navotas, and San Juan—would receive their ballots on this day, while the remaining cities in the region would be supplied with ballots the following day.

Metro Manila is identified as one of the country’s most vote-rich areas, and its ballots are the last in the country to be distributed, following successful shipments to other regions that have already secured their ballots in local treasurer's offices.

These ballots will remain under strict security until they are handed over to electoral board members on Sunday or early Monday morning, allowing educators to proceed directly to their designated polling stations.

Garcia asserted confidence in the security measures surrounding the transport of the ballots, highlighting that personnel from the Philippine National Police are escorting each delivery truck.

"This is the number one accountable document in an election," he noted during an interview.

As the election day on May 12 approaches, Garcia stated that Comelec is shifting its focus primarily to monitoring and supervision as most of the significant preparations are complete.

He remarked, "We're on track with all our preparations," adding that present activities include monitoring the delivery of election equipment, conducting final tests on voting systems, checking ballot security, and overseeing the deployment of security measures in sensitive locations.

A certification from the Technical Evaluation Committee, issued on April 30, confirmed that the automated election system is ready to operate effectively, securely, and accurately for the upcoming polls.

Garcia emphasized that this certification is essential for the comprehensive execution of the automated electoral process.

Final testing and sealing of the voting machines are set to continue until May 7, with provisions made to accommodate requests for testing extensions in certain precincts, particularly where electoral board members were unavailable.

Garcia explained the flexibility in this schedule by stating that final tests can still be conducted up to election day, although they were initially planned for an earlier date.

Reports indicate that there have been no incidents affecting the security of ballot and election materials throughout the deployment process, which encompasses not only ballots but also automated counting machines and other necessary equipment.

Additionally, special provisions have been arranged for vulnerable sectors, who will have priority voting from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. on election day.

Garcia confirmed that all teachers scheduled to assist in the election process have reported as available for service.

Approximately 68 million voters are registered to participate in the elections slated for May 12.