PH Embassy in Rome Campaigns for High Voter Turnout in 2019 Overseas Polls

Ambassador to Italy Domingo P. Nolasco encourages all Filipinos within the jurisdiction of the Philippine Embassy in Rome to vote in the upcoming 2019 National Elections.

ROME 08 April 2019 – To increase voter turnout in the 2019 National Elections overseas, the Philippine Embassy in Rome intensified its information campaign through a series of activities, including engaging with local media to disseminate information on overseas voting.

Ambassador to Italy Domingo P. Nolasco met with local media and Filipino community leaders for a press conference on 28 March 2019 at the Philippine Embassy to discuss frequently asked questions on the 2019 National Elections. Ms. Pia Eliza Gonzales of “Ako ay Pilipino” / “My Own Media” conducted a two-hour interview with the Ambassador in the presence of Filipino community leaders.

Ambassador Nolasco talked about the changes to be adopted for this year’s elections as compared to the 2016 National Elections and the procedures to be observed in the conduct of polls as laid down by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in its Resolutions.

The interview ended with Ambassador Domingo encouraging all Filipinos in Italy, Malta, and Albania to exercise their right to vote from 13 April to 13 May 2019 in a five-minute video.

Aside from the regular posting of advisories about overseas voting in its website and social media, the Embassy conducted an information drive on overseas voting during its consular outreach mission in Empoli on 30-31 March 2019. An instructional video from COMELEC and Department of Foreign Affairs-Overseas Voting Secretariat on how to vote was shown in the venue all throughout the consular outreach mission. Information on frequently asked questions was likewise disseminated.

For a wider information reach, the Embassy has also been distributing posters on overseas voting to Filipino-owned restaurants and establishments for posting.

In Minute Resolution 181124, COMELEC has mandated the Philippine Embassy in Rome to implement Postal Voting (Automatic Election System) for purposes of the 2019 National Elections overseas. END

Ambassador to Italy Domingo P. Nolasco holds an interactive discussion with local media and Filipino community leaders regarding the conduct of 2019 National Elections.

Filipino clients watch instructional video on overseas voting as they await their turn to be served during the consular outreach in Empoli, 30 March 2019.

Some Filipino community leaders express their support for the 2019 overseas voting by holding up posters during the consular outreach in Empoli, 31 March 2019.

For more information, visit www.romepe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinItaly/.