Elderly farmer walks 5 km to voting center, fails to vote as name not in voter’s list

Ceridulia Benemerito, an 89-year-old farmer who made a two-hour walk from Sitio Pantag in Barili town to the voting center in Sitio Lamak, can only smile after a futile hour of waiting for her name to be found in the voter’s list. | Michelle Joy L. Padayhag

CEBU CITY, Philippines — As early as 6 a.m., Ceridulia Benemerito started walking from Sitio Pantag to Sitio Lamak in Barangay Mayana, Barili, southern Cebu to cast her vote on May 13, Monday. 

The 89-year-old farmer braved the early morning heat and walked the five-kilometer road for her to reach the voting center in Lamak Elementary School.

“Kinahanglan gihapon mo botar ta bisan og tigulang na. Mo apil gihapon ta sa pag pili og bag-o nga lider,” she told CDN Digital.

(Even if I am old, I still have to vote. I still have to take part in choosing a leader.)

Barangay Mayana is a mountain barangay in the town of Barili which is five kilometers away from the highway. 

She arrived at 8:10 a.m. at the voting center with the help of a wooden cane. 

CDN Digital caught her sitting beside the Cebu Citizens’ Involvement and Maturation in People’s Empowerment and Liberation (C-CIMPEL) assistance desk outside the voting center.

She sought help from Jesson Reges, one of the C-CIMPEL volunteers to search for her precinct number.

When Reges checked her precinct number, Benemerito’s name was not found.

Benemerito was silent when she learned that her name was not found on the list of voters as showed by Reges. 

“Aw, og wala akong pangalan, mo uli na lang ko. Maglakaw na sad,” she said with a smile. 

(If they could not find my name there, then I would go home.)

She was sure that Lamak Elementary School is her voting center since she did not miss voting the same place for the past years.

This was also the first time that it happened to her. 

Based on the list showed by Reges, there are 980 registered voters who will cast their votes in Lamak Elementary School. 

After an hour of waiting, Benemerito decided to walk back home.

“Mo uli na lang ko. Init kaayo, layo pa kaayo,” she told CDN Digital.

(I will just go home. It is so hot here, I have still have a long way to walk.)

Other voters also braved the heat and lined up outside the voting center. 

One of them was Maxima Serafin, a 34-year-old accounting staff who works in Cebu City. 

Serafin traveled from Cebu City to Barili town on early morning of May 13 to cast her vote. 

She shared one umbrella with her mother Leona, 59, and father Andres, 59 while waiting for their turn to cast their votes.

“Wala’y choice,” she told Cebu Daily News Digital on how she managed the heat.

(I have no choice.)

Serafin, 34, has been a registered voter since she was 18 years old.

Just like other voters, her family sought help from Reges to identify their precinct number.

“Okay ra man. Mas maayo nga naa’y magdala sa lista. Mas dali sad siya makit-an. Sa una kay sa pultahan ipatapot ang lista unya mag iloganay pa inig tan-aw,” Serafin said. 

(So far, so good. I was able to find my precint number with the volunteer’s help. It was easier for me to find it. Before, the lists were posted on the door and you could not control the crowd.) /dbs