National Printing Office (NPO) Awaiting Job Order On Printing Of Official Ballots

The National Printing Office (NPO) is ready to accept the job order of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) for the printing of the official ballots to be used in the May elections, Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma Jr. said Thursday.
The NPO is expecting the job order from the COMELEC on February 8.

“The National Printing Office, an attached agency of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (pursuant to Executive Order No. 4, s. 2010), is fully prepared to accept the final job order of the Commission on Elections for the printing of the official ballots, in time for the national elections in May,” said Secretary Coloma.
“If we may recall, in the May 2013 national elections, the NPO was able to print and deliver 52 million official ballots in just fifty seven (57) days, or three (3) weeks earlier than the target completion date set by COMELEC,” he said.

Due to operational efficiency, the NPO completed the task at a printing cost that was P230 million lower than the estimated budget, he said, adding that savings of up to P35 million were attained in cost of paper and there was no need for the COMELEC to spend for the paper used in the printing of ballots for the barangay elections in October 2013.
The Palace official also said that cases filed against certain officials of the NPO will not in any way hamper its operations, including the printing of the ballots.

“The officials involved have filed their respective motions for reconsideration to the order of the Office of the Ombudsman and are awaiting its resolution,” said Coloma. (PCOO/PND)