Department of Science and Technology (DOST) personnel from the Negros Island Region (NIR) will train public school teachers who will be deployed during the May 12 midterm elections on the use of automated counting machines (ACMs).

NIR Regional Election Director Lionel Marco Castillano told the Philippine News Agency on Monday that teachers must be “certified by the DOST as having undergone training on the operations of the ACMs” before they can serve in the board of election inspectors.

“The law requires that the teachers must pass the DOST exams on ACM use,” he added.

A total of 25 DOST personnel from the NIR provinces of Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental and Siquijor attended the one-day training of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in this city on Monday.

Castillano said the training will start in March.

Meanwhile, some election officers from across the region will also undergo training starting Tuesday. In turn, they will train electoral board members. (PNA)