Overseas Filipinos told: Get out and register

INQUIRER.net
Posted date: April 22, 2009

MANILA, Philippines—Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Special Concerns Rafael Seguis on Tuesday urged all Filipinos overseas to go to the nearest Philippine embassy or consulate and register.
Seguis, who also heads the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Overseas Absentee Voting Secretariat (OAVS), said the number of new overseas absentee voters (OAV) who have registered as of April 21 is 52,557, still a far cry from the one million target.

He said he expects the figures to rise sharply as the campaign for it in all Philippine foreign service posts intensifies toward the end of the OAV registration period until August 31 this year.

Citing the OAVS report, he said Hong Kong posted the biggest number of OAV registrants at 5,715. The nine other foreign service posts in the top 10 are: Los Angeles with 3,981; London, 2,569; Toronto, 2,322; Dubai, 1,947; New York, 1,859; Washington D.C., 1,541; Brunei, 1,379; and Tokyo, 1,224.

In terms of countries, Seguis said the United States registered the most number at 9,887. The nine other countries in the top 10 are: China with 6,111; Canada, 2,729; United Kingdom, 2,569; United Arab Emirates, 2,273; Singapore, 2,232; Italy, 1,602; Japan, 1,543; Taiwan, 1,535; and Brunei, 1,379.

The foreign affairs official said the one million target still holds. “To date, the OAVS has issued a series of instructions to all foreign service posts to strengthen their strategies in order to garner one million OAV registrants for the 2010 national elections,” he added.

Among the instructions were for personnel at the posts to register and for them to promote OAV registration through activities by Filipino communities in their areas of responsibility.

“The posts and attaches from other government or semi-government agencies, under the leadership of the chiefs of mission/ambassadors/heads of posts, shall collaborate and cooperate with one another to achieve the one million overseas absentee voters for the 2010 national elections,” according the OAVS instruction to posts.

Seguis said the posts were encouraged to tie-up with Globe, Smart, and other telecommunications companies in the effort to inform all Filipinos overseas of the on-going registration.

“Posts with seaports were instructed to replicate Brussels Philippine embassy’s implementation of ‘Akyat Barko’ where it coordinates with ship owners/principals, ship representatives, manning agencies, and authorities of the host government to urge/encourage Filipino seafarers to register for the upcoming national elections,” the instruction also said.