ShareThisMAKATI CITY — Filipino American leader Loida Nicolas-Lewis has called for an ambitious plan to enlist at least one million new overseas absentee voters for the 2016 presidential elections in the Philippines.
Lewis, a lawyer and businesswoman based in the United States, made the call during the 2nd Global Summit of Filipinos in the Diaspora held at the Dhusit Hotel in Makati City. Bulletin’s Ellson A. Quismorio reported on the event.
Loida Lewis
Lewis, former chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NAFFAA) and now chairperson of the Global Filipino Diaspora Council, said the plan is feasible if every Filipino abroad will register.
“I urge all of you, members of the GFDC, all of you, to work hard and register an additional one million Filipino overseas,” said Lewis, a Democrat who campaigned for the current US President Barack Obama.
On Monday, the second day of the Summit, the constitution and by-laws of the GFDC was approved. The GFDC is touted as the first true global organization of Filipino migrants.
A ceremonial signing of the documents was held by Lewis, fellow immigration lawyer Teodoro Laguatan of the US Pinoys for Good Governance (USP4GG) and otherGFDC officials. It was witnessed by the hundreds of Summit delegates, several top government officials and members of the media.
“You might think it’s impossible but nothing is impossible to those who believe. With God everything is possible. This is a challenge to all global Filipinos. Help us campaign for at least one million more (OAV registrants),” Lewis told the summit delegates.
Last December, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila said that the total number of OAV registrants had reached 988,384— a historic figure given that there were 398,554 new registrants for the upcoming 2013 polls.
Lewis said that the close to one million actual OAV registrants, combined with their target of another one million in the next three years would make overseas Filipinos a “crucial factor” in the presidential elections in 2016.
“(Two million) overseas Filipinos can be a deciding and crucial factor in 2016. We can decide the next president,” she said, noting the tightly contested races in the first automated elections in 2010.
According to Lewis, the main purpose for the creation of GFDC was “to have one global voice to advocate the betterment of Filipinos in the diaspora (overseas or migrant Filipinos), and to influence the policies of the Philippine government for the good of our kababayans (countrymen) back home.”
Lewis stressed: “We are aware of the economic hardships of our kababayans. And the desire to help those who have less in life among our fellow Filipinos has become our passion and our goal.”
She likened this desire to the uniquely Filipino trait of “Bayanihan,” saying that it is this spirit that inspires them to come back to the country and get together.
Laguatan said that it was necessary to form a global organization “so we can help one another and have mutual support for one another.”
“Our dream is to have a Philippines where people do not have to leave for foreign countries. Now, we have thousands of children growing without parents,” the San Francisco-based lawyer said.