THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Mandaue City has announced the common poster areas for candidates in the coming May 2025 polls.
The designated poster areas, spread out in the city’s 27 barangays, will be the only places that Comelec would allow campaign posters and materials to be mounted.
These include spaces near barangay halls, plazas, and covered courts, among others.
Campaign period
The campaign period for congressional, provincial, city, and municipal candidates runs from March 28 to May 10, 2025.
While the period begins on Feb. 11 for senatorial and party-list groups.
During this time, Comelec will strictly monitor compliance and conduct “Oplan Baklas,” to remove campaign materials that do not conform to regulations, said Comelec Mandaue Election Assistant Jacqueline Reuyan on Monday, Jan. 27.
Poster areas
The following are the designated poster areas: Barangay Alang-Alang (Burgos St. in front of San Roque Chapel), Barangay Bakilid (near the barangay gym on Purok IV, L. Jayme St.), Barangay Banilad (near Matias, in front of Gateway, and Banilad Elementary School), Barangay Basak (along the National Highway going north, beside Grand Mall and Our Lady of Fatima Church), Barangay Casuntingan (corner M.L. Quezon St. and Gethsemane Road),
Barangay Centro (along A. Soriano St. in front of Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex), Barangay Cubacub (V. Vega St. beside the barangay gym), Barangay Guizo (A.S. Fortuna St. Extension beside the former CICC compound), Barangay Ibabao-Estancia (G. Ouano Extension beside the barangay gym and Ibabao Estancia Elementary School),
Barangay Jagobiao (corner of the National Highway and Eversley Childs Sanitarium Road near the skywalk), Barangay Labogon (Sitio Sto. Niño beside the barangay gym and Labogon National High School), Barangay Looc (along Catalino LL Ouano St. under the First Mandaue-Mactan Bridge), Barangay Maguikay (at corner V. Albano and M. Ceniza Streets), Barangay Mantuyong (B. Ceniza Street, Zone VII Ilahan), Barangay Opao (at the corner of Ouano and Cabahug Streets beside the barangay gym), Barangay Pakna-an (on Jayme St. beside Paknaan Elementary School), Barangay Pagsabungan (on Z. Estrella St. beside Pagsabungan Elementary School), Barangay Subangdaku (along S.O. Albano St. in front of the Post Office and NTC compound), Barangay Tabok (Lower Mabugat Road beside Clear Export), Barangay Tawason (at Purok Tambis near the barangay gym), Barangay Tingub (C. Suico St. beside Tingub National High School), Barangay Tipolo (along Basubas St. near Tipolo Elementary School), and in Barangay Umapad (at the entry to Batiller St., Opao Barangay Road near Opao Elementary School, and at Purok Kalubihan 2, corner Pajara General).
Reuyan warned that campaign materials placed outside these areas, on trees, electrical posts, or unauthorized locations, will be promptly removed.
Candidates are required to use frames for their posters, which must adhere to the prescribed sizes ranging from a minimum
bond paper size and the largest would be the size of a cartolina.
Temporary structures for posters must also be dismantled within five days after the elections, Reuyan said.
These measures aim to maintain order and fairness, said Reuyan.
Under Republic Act 9006, also known as the Fair Elections Act, Comelec is mandated to designate up to 10 common poster areas per city or municipality per councilor district.
These areas must be allocated fairly among political parties, party-list groups, and independent candidates. For political parties and party-list groups, each common poster area can measure up to 12 feet by 16 feet, while independent candidates are allowed spaces of up to four-feet-by-six-feet.
Reuyan said this year’s setup is an improvement from the 2022 elections when common poster areas were limited only to plazas.
“Every barangay now has a designated area. This ensures better exposure for the candidates and brings the campaign closer to the public,” she said.
The Comelec identified these areas through surveys of vacant government lots near chapels, barangay halls, and other public spaces. The expansion aims to provide more opportunities for candidates to reach voters while maintaining order and fairness.
In a separate interview, Comelec 7 Director Francisco Pobe, said to ensure candidates follow these guidelines, the Comelec will begin enforcing the rules on Feb. 11 for national candidates through the Operation Baklas initiative, which will be carried out by local committees across municipalities, cities, and provinces.
Pobe emphasized that while the campaign period is not yet in effect, local ordinances and national laws governing littering on government facilities, roads, and highways will be enforced. (CAV/CDF)