MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has implemented austerity measures in connnection with the President's declaration of a state of national energy emergency to ease the impact of the war in the Middle East.
The Commission en banc on Thursday adopted the recommendation of Chairman George Erwin Garcia to postpone or cancel non-essential travel and activities that entail significant budgetary expenditures.
"This measure demonstrates sensitivity to the economic hardship and fuel price volatility currently affecting the Filipino people," Garcia said in a memorandum.
However, the En Banc exempted from its directive activities related to the preparations for the Bangsamoro parliamentary election, the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, and the 2028 national and local elections, the resolution of electoral controversies and other core functions and activities in compliance with rules and regulations.
The recommendations adopted by the Commission en banc include, among others, the postponement of the Election Expo Convention and Conference, including the Asian Electoral Stakeholders Forum VII and the Philippine Election Expo scheduled on April 21-23, 2026. The commission postponed the National Goodwill Games scheduled for May 8-10, 2026 and the teambuilding activities of all departments and offices.
The Comelec will also adopt a work-from-home arrangement for main and field offices every Monday beginning April 6, 2026.