ShareThisQUEZON CITY – Expect a high voter turn out from overseas Filipino during the next election in the country once Congress passes a bill giving OFWs more access to registration centers to be established in many parts of the world.
Former President Arroyo
Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2nd District, Pampanga) has filed House Bill 3001 amending Republic Act 9189 also known as the Overseas Absentee Voting Act, which provides for the systems and procedures by which Filipino citizens residing or working abroad can vote in an election.
Under the bill, registration for overseas absentee voting will be made more accessible to Filipinos worldwide by way of setting up field and mobile registration centers by the posts concerned.
The bill provides for a pre-departure registration that shall be conducted in accredited government agencies or facilities to be determined by the Commission on Elections.
Likewise, OFWs may file their application personally at any post or at designated registration centers in the Philippines approved by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
“It is an important legislative measure which establishes the mechanism by which Filipinos overseas can participate in our democratic exercise and this was shown from our 2004 until the recent 2010 elections,” Arroyo said.
Arroyo said the law provides that all Filipino citizens overseas who are not disqualified by law and at least 18 years old by the time of elections will be entitled to vote.
Citing a report of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Arroyo said the DFA spent a total of P112.71 million for the overseas absentee voters in 2004 where some 89 registration centers were established abroad along with 44 posts in 154 areas for the purpose of field registration.
Arroyo said of the total 364,187 overseas Filipinos who registered only 233,092 cast their votes representing only 64 percent.
Arroyo explained that several factors were identified to have caused the low voter turnout such as shortened registration period, stringent voting requirements, limited voting facilities, limited days-off from work and cost considerations among others.
Arroyo pointed out that several measures have been introduced to make the law more liberal in terms of administrative requirements but due to lack of enough time these were not enacted last Congress.
“This bill aims to enfranchise more Filipino overseas voters by relaxing restrictive provisions of the law which will surely give our countrymen abroad a stronger voice in choosing our leaders,” Arroyo added.