28 May 2014 - The Philippine Embassy in Athens, Greece commenced Overseas Voters registration for qualified overseas Filipinos on May 6 at the Philippine Embassy.

The first day of the overseas voters registration proceeded smoothly and without incident. A total of eight (8) Filipinos applied for registration as overseas voters and two (2) applied for reactivation.

The first overseas voters registrant was Mr. Homer Galesa, a 41-year old overseas Filipino workers from Ambelokipi, Athens, who has been working in Greece for seven years. He is the president of the Mindanao Visayas Society, a Filipino community organization in Greece. Mr. Galesa, originally from Misamis Oriental, entered Greece as a seafarer. He is currently working in a yacht as a land-based worker. This will be his first registration as an overseas voter since he came to Athens. Due to the nature of his work, he is always out in the islands and was not able to register for the previous elections. He expressed his eagerness to take part in the 2016 Presidential Elections. He informed the Embassy that the overseas voters registration will give him the opportunity to exercise his right to vote even while he is abroad.

Mr. Galesa learned about the overseas voters registration during the Embassy’s regular monthly meeting with the Filipino community. In addition, he has advised and encouraged the members of his organization to register for the upcoming elections.

The second registrant was Mrs. Maryline Cortez, 34 years old, originally from Bantay, Ilocos Sur. Mrs. Cortez has not participated in any overseas voters registration or election since she left the Philippines. Since she is residing outside Athens, she finds it difficult to register due to the distance and her busy schedule. She came to the Embassy to renew her passport and took the time to register as an overseas voter.  END