01 February 2017 MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs - Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS) announced on January 31 that DFA-OVS and COMELEC-OFOV have signed a tripartite memoranda of agreement with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA); Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO);and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) for the continuing registration/certification of qualified overseas Filipinos.
The overseas voter registration resumed on December 01, 2016 and will end on September 30, 2018, for purposes of the 2019 elections.
The said agreements will allow the abovementioned agencies to jointly establish Pre-Departure Registration Centers for departing Overseas Filipinos. Accessible overseas voter registration facilities will be provided for them.
In addition, the DFA-OVS plans to open registration centers at the DFA Office of Consular Affairs (OCA), ASEANA; DFA Satellite Offices in SM Manila, Robinsons Galleria, and in Alabang; and in DFA Regional Consular Offices in Davao, Cebu, and Pampanga within the next couple of months.
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 is an increase of more than 100% versus the 398,554 new registrants for the 2013 elections.
Of almost 1.4 million registered overseas voters, 590,440 are in the Middle East and Africa; 334,215 in the Asia Pacific; 263,316 in the Americas; 138,757 in Europe; and 49,339 are Sea-based.
“The COMELEC Office for Overseas Voting and the DFA Overseas Voting Secretariat, have set an ambitious “stretch” goal of a total of 1.1 million new overseas voter registrants. The Foreign Service’s expected share is 900,000 new registrants, while we in the Philippines, together with our partner agencies, will contribute 200,000 new registrants as our share towards achieving the goal,” said Undersecretary Ariel Y. Abadilla, who is concurrently Chairman of DFA-OVS.
All Filipino citizens who expect to be abroad from April 13 to May 13, 2019 during the overseas voting period for the 2019 Elections, are at least 18 years old on May 13, 2019, and not otherwise disqualified by law, may register as an overseas voter, at all Philippine Foreign Service Posts including the three 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). END