Google map of Lamitan City, Basilan province. ZAMBOANGA CITY - The schools division office in Lamitan City, Basilan province is undertaking the necessary preparations to ensure the orderly conduct of the May 9 national and local elections. Myra Mangkabung, superintendent of Lamitan Schools Division, said Wednesday the teachers tasked to render election duty would undergo training next week on how to operate the vote-counting machine (VCM). "We just finished the conduct of orientation of the teachers about election protocols," Mangkabung said in an interview. Nearly 300 teachers have been tasked to serve as Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) and poll clerks for the polls in Lamitan City, she said. "All those who will be serving the election are vaccinated," she added. However, Mangkabung said one of the big challenges they expect to face on election day is Internet connectivity, as most of the precincts in Lamitan City are off-grid. Another problem, she pointed out, is the frequent power interruptions in Lamitan City. Lawyer Vidzfar Julie, Basilan election officer, said Wednesday Lamitan City has 50,134 registered voters in 80 clustered precincts. (PNA) }