19 October 2015 - The Department of Foreign Affairs, Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS), announced on October 15 that the 1.3 million mark of active registered overseas voters for the 2016 national elections has been surpassed (1,301,598).

“Since overseas Filipinos are considered to be their family’s bread winners, it is not a stretch to surmise that each overseas Filipino can influence the vote of at least three family members. Thus, the 1.3 million active registered overseas voters are roughly equivalent to 5.2 million votes. This is a definite game changer for Philippine politics,” Office of Civilian Security and Consular Concerns Undersecretary Rafael E. Seguis, who is concurrently Chairman of DFA-OVS, said.

Broken down by region, there are almost 550,000 active registered overseas voters in the Middle East and Africa; about 250,000 in the Americas; about 150,000 in Europe; and, 320,000 in Asia and the Pacific, while seafarers registered as overseas voters number about 30,000.

“COMELEC lauds the effort of the DFA-OVS and all the Philippine Embassies in their aggressive campaign to increase the number of registered overseas Filipino voters. I sincerely appreciate the initiatives to put up overseas registration centers in the country as well as in our Embassies. I also commend the Embassies for including the overseas voting registration in their mobile consular services. I hope we can further look into the possibility of holding these registrations in public areas like malls, public squares and parks, community centers and other suitable places where the host government allows the conduct of election-related activities,” COMELEC Chairman Andres D. Bautista said.

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

All Filipino citizens who expect to be abroad during the 30-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 personally register as an overseas voter at any Philippine Foreign Service Post (FSP), including the three Manila Economic and Cultural Offices (MECO), 15 OVRCs in the Philippines and at other COMELEC approved field/mobile registration centers.

For an updated list, please go to www.dfa-oavs.gov.ph or www.comelec.gov.ph.

Overseas Filipinos in the Asia Pacific (except China and Taiwan), Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa regions may now go to irehistro.comelec.gov.ph/ov to access the iREHISTRO On-line system and register as an overseas voter. Voter registration period ends on 31 October 2015. Register and vote! END