12 April 2016 - The Philippine Embassy in Doha started the Overseas Voting for the 2016 Philippine National Elections to all registered Filipino voters in Qatar on April 09. For the first time in Qatar, the Embassy will adopt the automated election system (AES) which will allow faster counting of ballots and real-time transmittal of the election result. On the first day of overseas voting, more than 750 voters cast their votes.

Mr. Jose Palarca, who works as a security guard in Qatar, was at the Philippine Embassy at 5:00 AM and was the first to cast his vote as an overseas voter. He believes that the power of change is in the hands of the voters, especially at this crucial time when the Philippines is poised to choose a new President.

The 30-day voting period for the 2016 Philippine National Elections will run from April 09 until May 09. During this period, the Embassy will be open for voting during regular office hours from Sundays to Thursdays between 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and during Fridays, Saturdays, and Holidays  between 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (with no break). On May 09, the last day of voting and election day in the Philippines, voters will have 7:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon to cast their votes.

Ambassador Wilfredo Santos encourages all Filipinos in Qatar to exercise their right of suffrage and to make their vote count as part of their civic duties as a Filipino citizen. With the 70% increase in registered overseas voters in Qatar, the Ambassador is confident that this will lead to an increased voter turnout compared to the last election cycle. Qatar has over 40,000 registered voters. END