THE administration’s “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” yesterday urged overseas Filipino workers (OFWS) and other Filipinos living abroad to vote for candidates who will fight for them.
“Our kababayans abroad may be far from home, but their votes carry the weight of millions of families they continue to support. The best way to protect their sacrifices is to elect leaders who will fight for them,” Alyansa campaign manager Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco said.
Overseas absentee voting starts on April 13 and will run until May 12.
There are 1.24 million registered overseas voters and they will only be electing candidates for national positions – 12 senators and one party-list group for the House of Representatives.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has said the number of Filipinos abroad who are eligible to vote in this year’s midterm elections reflects a 26.84 percent decrease from 1.62 million in 2022.
Data shows that major OFW hubs with the largest voter populations are the United Arab Emirates (189,892), the United States (178,033), Saudi Arabia (130,711), Hong Kong (83,330), and Taiwan (71,009).
Tiangco urged overseas Filipinos not to waste the opportunity to exercise their right.
“Hindi sapat ang papuri sa mga OFW. Kailangan nila ng konkretong aksyon. (Praising OFWs is not enough. They need concrete actions). That begins with representation in the Senate that truly understands their struggles and will push policies to uplift their lives,” he said.
He assured voters that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Alyansa ticket “is united in pushing key reforms for OFWs, including accessible consular assistance, stronger legal protection, reintegration support, and more job opportunities in the Philippines to reduce forced migration.”
“Your vote matters now more than ever,” Tiangco told overseas voters. “The challenges facing OFWs today – contract violations, rising costs, family separation – can only be solved if we put the right leaders in place,” he also said.
The administration lawmaker, who is seeking reelection, also encouraged all overseas voters to verify their status, visit their embassies or consulates, and ensure that that their voices count.
“Boto ninyo, boses ninyo (Your vote, your voice). Let’s work together for a Bagong Pilipinas that includes every Filipino, no matter where in the world they may be,” Tiangco said.
The members of the administration’s senatorial slate are reelectionist Senators Lito Lapid, Francis Tolentino, Pia Cayetano, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.; former senators Vicente Sotto III, Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao; Reps. Erwin Tulfo (PL, ACT-CIS) and Camille Villar of Las Piñas City; Makati City mayor Abigail Binay, and former Interior Secretary and Mandaluyong City mayor Benhur Abalos.
The Comelec yesterday said it expects the number of overseas voters enrolling for the Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS) to surge in the coming days.
In a press conference, Comelec chairman George Garcia said: “As we get closer to the start of the overseas voting period, the number of enrollees are increasing. We expect it to increase further before Sunday.”
It was back in March 20 when the Comelec opened the enrolment period for the OVCS, which will run until May 7.
Enrolment may be done via the link https://ov.comelec.gov.ph/enroll.
A total of 77 overseas posts are set to use the OVCS.
Garcia said the Philippine posts that will use the OVCS will have available voting kiosks for pre-enrolled Filipino voters.
“Aside from their cellphones or laptops, if they decide to visit the Embassy, might as well vote there in our ready kiosks,” said the poll chief.
On the other hand, there are 16 Philippine Embassies (PE) and Philippine Consulates General (PCG) that will use the automated counting machines (ACMs) either via personal or postal voting.
These are in Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Xiamen in China; Dili in Timor Leste; Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea; Yangon in Myanmar; Ankara, and Istanbul in Turkiye; Moscow in Russia; Abuja in Nigeria; Beirut in Lebanon; Damascus in Syria; Tehran in Iran; and Tripoli in Libya.
Garcia said they have already deployed all the ACMs and election paraphernalia needed in the 16 posts. – With Gerard Naval
