By DEXTER CABALZA
LIGAYA Patañaga, 81, and her neighbor,Luzviminda Dularte, 75, showed up at the SM City Manila before 7 a.m., eager to vote at one of only four venues in the country designated by the Commission on Elections as accessible polling places (APP).
But at that hour, the mall was letting in early birds like Patañaga and Dularte only through its San Marcelino gate.
There was no lift at that gate. So Patañaga, 81, had to be helped by her neighbor and several police and mall security guards negotiate the 10-step stairs to reach the upper ground floor where the special polling place is located.
That hardly mattered. Patañaga said she still preferred climbing the stairs at the mall than those at her regular precinct at the Araullo Elementary School.
“Noong May elections, kailangan pa naming umakyat sa third floor.Tapos mahirap doon kasi maraming tao, sama-sama kami (In last May elections, we needed to climb up to the third floor of the school. It was more difficult there since the school was overcrowded. They lumped all the voters there),” she said.
Dularte added, “Sanay na kaming umakyat-baba dito kasi dito kami nagsisimba tuwing Linggo (We’re used to climbing the stairs here since we attend Sunday masses here).”