DFA sets new record on Overseas Voter Registration

The overseas voter registration in preparation for the 2016 elections netted a cumulative total of 1,376,067 active registered overseas voters. (Photo: Panahon TV/ Youtube)

MANILA–The Department of Foreign Affairs – Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS) on Wednesday said it has set a new record for first quarter performance.

DFA Undersecretary Ariel Y. Abadilla, who is concurrently the chairman of DFA-OVS, said in his report to Acting DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo that the 2016-2018 overseas voter (OV) registration that commenced on Dec.

1, 2016 and will end on Sept. 30, 2018 garnered a total of 67,497 new OV registrants wanted to participate in the 2019 elections

The report claimed that it has surpassed the numbers of the first three months of 2014-2015 OV registration with a total of 64,074 new OV registrants and the previous record of 64,917 that was set in 2009.

The overseas voter registration in preparation for the 2016 elections netted a cumulative total of 1,376,067 active registered overseas voters.

The 826,881 new registrants for the 2016 elections, was more than a 100 percent increase over the 398,554 new registrants for the 2013 elections.

Of the almost 1.4 million registered overseas voters, 590,440 were in the Middle East and Africa, 334,215 in the Asia Pacific, 263,316 in the Americas, 138,757 in Europe, and 49,339 were sea based.

The attainable target for this registration period is 1.

1 million OV registrants, which would net a cumulative total of 2,130,000 active registered voters for the coming national elections.

“This new milestone can be mostly attributed to the hard-work and dedication of the men and women of our Foreign Service who are aggressively campaigning to encourage more overseas Filipinos to participate in this on-going electoral exercise. Our media partners and other OV stakeholders are also playing a vital role in disseminating overseas voting awareness among our kababayans abroad,” said Abadilla.

“There are still plenty of overseas Filipinos that have yet to register and vote so it’s the duty of DFA-OVS along with the Foreign Service Posts to encourage them to register and vote because this coming midterm elections is important specially if constitutional amendment bill will be approved by the Philippine Congress.”

All Filipino citizens, who expect to be abroad from 13 April – 13 May 2019 during the overseas voting period for the 2019 Elections, at least 18 years old on 13 May 2019, and not otherwise disqualified by law, may register as an overseas voter, at all Philippine Foreign Service Posts including the three (3) Manila Economic and Cultural Offices (MECO) in Taiwan and Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Al-Khobar (for an updated list please go to www.dfa-oavs.gov.ph or www.comelec.gov.ph). Register and Vote!