13 May 2016 - The Consulate General of the Republic of the Philippines (PCG) in Osaka concludes the conduct of the 2016 National Elections with its submission of Election Returns (ERs) to the Special Board of Canvassers (SBOC) at the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo last May 10.

PCG Osaka received a total of 6,306 ballots cast of the 17,456 registered voters marking 36.13% turnout. This is a sharp increase from 2013 Elections which yielded a voter turnout of 585 of the 4,464 registered voters.

Ms. Gundelina Manalo Onoda was the last to cast her vote a few minutes before voting closed last May 09. A caregiver and mother of five, Ms. Onoda has been in Japan for 13 years and claims that it was her very first time to vote.

"I need to support the Philippines. I used to feel that voting was meaningless. But now, I want to fight for what I believe in. Although I am not staying in the Philippines, it is still my country," said Ms. Onoda. END