TO ENHANCE internet connectivity in remote areas for the upcoming elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Davao City received additional Starlink WiFi units and solar panel sets on Thursday morning, May 8, 2025. The equipment was delivered to their office at Magsaysay Park.
The newly arrived units will be deployed across several barangays: one unit in Barangay 19-B (First District), six units in the Second District—including three in Salapawan, two in Tapak, and one in Mabuhay—and four in the Third District, specifically in Tamayong, Mulig, Talandang, and Ladian in Marilog. All other barangays will receive one unit each.
These are in addition to the 37 Starlink units previously distributed, primarily in the First District. All units form part of the 340 Starlink kits found stored in a private property in Dumanlas, Buhangin, on April 5 and later secured by the Davao del Norte Police.
According to Atty. Shajani Ebrahim, Comelec’s Third District election officer, requested that the new devices be requested to improve election communication in geographically isolated areas. He confirmed that the sites chosen in the Third District are now final and deemed vital for election operations.
Ebrahim assured that contingency plans are in place in case of weak signals. "If the signal is too weak to transmit election returns after three tries, the poll workers can proceed to the nearest voting center with stable connectivity," he said.
The equipment was transported by Deep Sea Transport Services OPC, a Muntinlupa-based firm. The delivery arrived slightly later than the schedule announced by Comelec and its contractor, iOne Resources Joint Venture (iOne JV).
Ebrahim also reminded voters to mark their ballots correctly and avoid using checkmarks, Xs, dots, or lines, as vote-counting machines may misread these non-standard marks. Overvoting or improper markings may lead to invalidated ballots, he added, echoing recent warnings from the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV). DEF