Filipinos in Bahrain urged to register for overseas voting

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Overseas voting registration for the May 2022 Philippine national elections is continuing at the Philippine Embassy located in Mahooz. All qualified Filipino citizens residing and working abroad – better known as the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) – who have not yet registered should visit the embassy as personal appearance is required.

In October last year, the embassy resumed the activity following a five-month suspension due to the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Overseas registration started in December 2019 and will run until September 30, 2021.

The next Philippine general elections – set to take place on May 9, 2022 – will select the successor of current President Rodrigo Duterte.

According to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila, overseas voters may cast their votes in Philippine embassies, consulates, and other posts for one month, from April 10 to May 9 next year.

Qualified Filipino voters residing and working abroad will choose the next president, vice-president, 12 senators and a party-list representative.

Details or biometrics will be captured and those who want to register must bring along a photocopy of a valid passport. For seafarers, a seaman’s book is required aside from a copy of the Philippine passport.

Today, there are an estimated 60,000 Filipinos living and working in Bahrain, and they include professional, skilled and semiskilled workers as well as household service workers.

Many of them bring their families here.

The registration is part of the embassy’s efforts to gradually shift back to normal consular operations while strictly following the required safety precautions and protocols within its premises.

Filipinos in the Kingdom have expressed their gratefulness to the embassy for the resumption of the registration, in which they have the chance to exercise their right and duty to choose the next leaders of the country, particularly the president.

To encourage Filipinos to register, the embassy is utilising its social media accounts by posting infomercials and posters to increase awareness in Bahrain.

Those interested in overseas voting registration should contact the embassy for details on how to proceed. More details can also be found on the embassy’s official website: https:// manamape.dfa.gov.ph/