Mobile voter registration eyed for Pinoys in UAE

With the October 31 deadline just three months away, Philippine officials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are eyeing more mobile services for Overseas Absentee Voter (OAV) registration by overseas Filipino workers there.

 

A Philippine consulate official said this is following successful mobile registration services in Sharjah, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, and Ajman, according to a report on Gulf News on Monday.

 

“We will have more mobile services for this purpose. We’re still planning the details at the moment but our team will definitely reach out to other areas in the northern emirates. The only emirate we have not gone to as of yet is Umm Al Quwain,” Vice-Consul Geronimo Suliguin said.

 

He said the UAE has over 11,900 registrants, and the consulate aims to add 7,000 in the next three months.

 

In the last OAV registration in 2009, there were 12,000 registrants for a period of one year, he said.

 

"But for our case this year, we were able to reach that number in just nine months. This simply means that more and more Filipinos are becoming aware and interested to register and participate in this democratic exercise,” he said.

 

Earlier, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila issued orders to Philippine posts to further intensify campaigns for OAV registration.

 

There are over 90 embassies and consulates abroad.

 

Gulf News cited a DFA report indicating Dubai ranks first in the Middle East and second worldwide in the list of places with the highest number of OAV registrants.

 

Under the 12-month OAV registration that started last October 31, Filipino expatriates in the UAE who wish to register must bring a copy of their passport. — TJD, GMA News