1.1M new voters eyed abroad

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Commission on Elections have set a “stretch goal” of registering 1.1 million new Filipino voters abroad in time for the May 13, 2019 elections, according to Undersecretary Ariel Abadilla, chair of the DFA-Overseas Voting Secretariat (OVS).

“The Foreign Service’s expected share is 900,000 new registrants while we in the Philippines, together with our partner agencies, will contribute 200,000 new registrants as our share towards achieving the goal,” Abadilla said in a statement.

The DFA has signed an agreement with the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas and the Maritime Industry Authority to provide Filipinos abroad more accessible voter registration facilities for the 2019 elections.

The DFA-OVS said the tripartite agreement will allow the three agencies to jointly establish predeparture registration centers for overseas Filipinos.

The agency will also open registration centers at the DFA Office of Consular Affairs in Aseana, at satellite offices in SM Manila and Robinsons Galleria, and at regional consular offices in Davao, Cebu and Pampanga.

Overseas voter registration for the 2019 elections resumed in December 2016 and will end on Sept. 30 next year.