14 July 2014 - The Department of Foreign Affairs, Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS), announced today, July 11, that for the first time in the eleven-year electoral history of Philippine overseas voting, overseas voter registration (OVR) breaches the one million mark.

 “The preparations by the Department and the Commission on Elections led to a successful start for the registration process,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario said in a letter.

 “The challenge for OV registration is to maintain the momentum by keeping the overseas Filipinos interested and engaged in this democratic process,” Secretary Del Rosario further said.

During the second month (June) of OVR in preparation for the 2016 presidential elections, the Foreign Service Posts (FSPs) processed 20,039 new OVR applications. This is a 7.5% increase from the record-breaking performance (18,631) of last May, bringing the two-month total to 38,670. When added to the existing accumulated overseas voter stock of 975,263, the one-million registered overseas voter mark is broken by the total of 1,013,933. 

Also in June, the first Overseas Voter Registration Center (OVRC) in the Philippines for this election cycle was opened at the Office of Consular Affairs (OCA), Macapagal Avenue, ASEANA Business Park. Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), immigrants, and seafarers who are about to leave for abroad, and who are not yet registered as overseas voters, may now register at this newly launched facility. In addition, these registrants no longer have to set an appointment to apply for renewal of passport. Their OVR stub will allow them access to the Passport Division’s Courtesy Lane.

 “At the current pace of registration, we could have an overseas voter stock of over two million for the 2016 presidential elections. Attaining this goal can definitely be a game changer,” said DFA Undersecretary for Civil Security and Consular Concerns and DFA-OVS Chairman Rafael S. Seguis. The DFA-OVS, together with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), has set an ambitious, but statistically attainable, goal of one million new overseas Filipino voter registrants for the registration period covering 06 May 2014 to 31 October 2015.

A challenge confronting the FSPs is aging voter registration equipment which constantly malfunction. The equipment was provided by the COMELEC during the previous election cycles. DFA-OVS is closely coordinating with the COMELEC on how to address the situation. Both the Secretariat and the Commission are confident that a solution is at hand, despite the meager resources available to the COMELEC for overseas voter activities since it is not an election year.

The top ten performing Foreign Service Posts for the month of June are: Dubai (2,216); Toronto (1,373); San Francisco (1,299); Abu Dhabi (1,161); Kuwait (1,031); Los Angeles (989); Jeddah (941); New York (847); Singapore (787); and Milan (764).

All Filipino citizens who expect to be abroad during the thirty day (09 April – 09 May 2016) overseas voting period for the 2016 presidential elections, at least 18 years old on 09 May 2016, 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), Office of Consular Affairs, Macapagal Ave., ASEANA Business Park, and at other COMELEC approved registration centers within or outside the Philippines. An updated list of registration centers may be viewed on www.dfa-oavs.gov.ph or www.comelec.gov.ph. END