The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has officially partnered with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) to improve the voting experience for vulnerable sectors, particularly senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

The tripartite Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed at the Chairman's Hall, Palacio del Gobernador, in Intramuros, Manila, by DSWD Assistant Secretary Elaine Fallarcuna, representing Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia, and NCDA Executive Director Glenda Relova.

Under the agreement, the DSWD, Comelec, and NCDA will work together to promote inclusivity, ensure easy access to voting, share data, and conduct information campaigns to boost voter participation among these groups.

A key component of the MoA is a data-sharing arrangement, with guidelines in place to protect the personal information of senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Gatchalian emphasized the importance of safeguarding sensitive data, noting that accountability and liability parameters are part of the agreement.

The DSWD and NCDA will monitor election activities during the 2025 national and local elections to ensure the suffrage rights of vulnerable citizens are upheld.

Comelec will set up voter registration booths during social pension payouts nationwide to facilitate the convenient updating of senior citizens' voter registration records.

The NCDA will provide Comelec’s Vulnerable Sectors Office with nationwide data on persons with disabilities to assist election officers in registration efforts.

Fallarcuna thanked the partner agencies for their collaboration, underscoring that the initiative will empower vulnerable sectors to actively participate in the electoral process while ensuring their rights and data are protected.

The signing was witnessed by DSWD Assistant Secretaries Irene Dumlao and Ada Colico, along with Comelec Commissioner-in-Charge for the Vulnerable Sectors Office Aimee Perolino.