Time to clean up, again!

First, the election waste, the election basura.

- Cherry Piquero-Ballescas

At Talamban National High School, seniors like us who went to the May 12 polls early at 5 AM were rewarded with a very smooth/quick voting process that took just 10 minutes to complete!

However, from news reports, sadly, not all seniors and other voters had the same efficient electoral experience.

Definitely needing so much more improvements and changes and largely imperfect, still, we extend our thanks and commend Comelec for some notable positive improvements for the 2025 May elections.

This observation may not be true for all polling precincts, but where we were, there was no waste strewn in the school premises. The school was very clean!

Some factors responsible for observed cleaner polling areas and less waste this 2025 elections included: “1.) The active campaign of the Commission on Elections towards an eco-friendly electoral exercise; 2.) The prohibition on campaigning on May 11 and 12, including the ban on the distribution of sample ballots; 3.) The availability of trash bags or bins in high traffic spots; 4.) The constant sweeping by school janitors and the deployment of waste and sanitation workers by local governments; and 5.) The retrieval of discards such as plastic bottles by informal waste workers.”