PH Embassy in Kuwait’s Overseas Voter Registration Surpasses 6,800-Mark Amid COVID-19 Outbreak 

The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait implements social distancing to Filipinos who wish to register as overseas voters for the 2022 National Elections. (Kuwait PE photo)

KUWAIT 30 March 2020 – Since December 2019 until before the indefinite suspension by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) of the overseas voter registration for the 2022 Presidential Elections due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a total of 6,843 new overseas voters registered at the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait.

In a statement, Philippine Consul General to Kuwait Mohd. Noordin Pendosina N. Lomondot commended the almost 7,000 new overseas voters in Kuwait for fulfilling their duty to the country and at the same time, announced the COMELEC’s decision to temporarily suspend the overseas voter registration in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Consul General Lomondot added that the desire of Filipinos in Kuwait to register as overseas voters and take part in democracy was just held in abeyance. “Once we all surpass this public health crisis, Filipinos in Kuwait will once again troop to the Embassy to register as overseas voters, and make their choice of leaders be heard in 2022,” said Consul General Lomondot.

Out of the 6,843 who have thus far registered as new overseas voters in Kuwait, 5,658 are female registrants while 1,185 are male registrants.

The COMELEC’s suspension eventually coincided with the Kuwaiti government’s 11-hour, 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew, and restrictions on transportation as part of the country’s efforts to combat the spread of the COVID-19. During the time that the Embassy accommodated a number of overseas voting registrations until 29 March 2020, social distancing, wearing of facemasks, among other precautionary measures, were enforced within the premises of the Embassy.

“With the closure of non-essential businesses in Kuwait and the suspension of mass transport services such as buses and taxis, the Embassy understands that it would be difficult for Filipinos to register as overseas voters under these difficult circumstances,” said Chargé d’Affaires and Resident Election Registration Board Chair Charleson C. Hermosura.

Apart from the latest tally of new overseas voters, 1,278 more Filipinos in Kuwait availed themselves of other services such as recapturing of biometrics, transfer of voter registration records, application for reinstatement in the national registry of overseas voters, application for correction of wrong entries/misspelled names/change of name in the National Registry of Overseas Voters, withdrawal of overseas voter application for registration/certification, application for reactivation of voter registration records, and application for change of address in Kuwait.

Hence, Chargé d’Affaires Hermosura advised Filipinos in Kuwait to follow the Embassy’s official website and social media pages such as Facebook and Twitter accounts for future advisories on the resumption of the overseas voter registration and other announcements. END

The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait facilitates overseas voters for the 2022 National Elections and other related services. (Kuwait PE photo)

For more information, visit https://www.kuwaitpe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philembassykuwait.gov.kw or https://www.facebook.com/PHinKuwait/ or https://twitter.com/PHinKuwait.