ALL programs and services enrolled in the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF), which will be held from June 7 to 8, 2024, have been registered with the government so that these would not conflict with the 2025 midterm election ban imposed by the Commission of Elections (Comelec).
“What we did, the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair with all of its government agencies and programs, we file the petition before the Comelec that these particular programs that participate in the BPSF be exempted in the election ban,” Sofonias Garonada, Deputy Secretary General, Lead, National Secretariat of BPSF, said during the during a press briefing at the Capitol Grounds, Davao del Norte Provincial Capitol in Tagum City on Tuesday afternoon, June 6.
According to Garonada, the move aims to avoid election-related conflicts among aspiring politicians which are common in every electoral campaign.
Under Resolution No. 10999, the Comelec en banc set the election period from January 12 to June 11, 2025.
Currently, the historic and largest Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) in the province of Davao del Norte has approximately 235 government services anticipated to be given to about 220,000 beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, 161 District and Partylist representatives will be present during the opening leg of the second season of BPSF in the Davao Region and the 19th serbisyo caravan in the Philippines, which seeks to tour all 82 provinces nationwide from June 7 to 8, 2024.
Meanwhile, on May 29, the Comelec released the calendar of activities for next year’s midterm elections focusing on gun ban, prohibition on the suspension of elective officials, and prohibition on the movement of officers in the civil service, among others.
The dates to remember are summarized below:
August 31, 2024: Last day of Register Anywhere Program
September 30, 2024: Last day of local and overseas registration
September 1 to 28, 2024: Period to hold political conventions by political parties to select/ nominate candidates
October 1 to 8, 2024: Filing of certificates of candidacy, and certificates of nomination and acceptance
January 12 to June 11, 2025: Election period, gun ban
February 11 to May 10, 2025: Campaign period for candidates for senator and groups in the party-list system
March 28 to May 10, 2025: Campaign period for candidates for House district lawmaker, and parliamentary, provincial, city, and municipal officials
April 13 to May 12, 2025: Voting by overseas voters
April 28 to 30, 2025: Voting by local absentee voters
May 11, 2025: Liquor ban
May 12, 2025: Election day
June 11, 2025: Last day to file statement of contributions and expenditures (SOCE). DEF