Phl consulate general conducts overseas absentee voting registration in Frisco

By Lucia F. Broño

Monday 3rd of September 2012

QUEZON CITY, Sept 3 (PIA) -- The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, USA held an overseas absentee voting (OAV) registration at Jollibee Restaurant in Daly City on August 25.

Eighteen Filipinos took part in the OAV registration including Esmenio Martinez, a 73-year-old Filipino.

Consul General Marciano A. Paynor Jr. commended Martinez for going out of his way to register for the 2013 Senatorial and Party-List representative election.

“We hope that Mr. Martinez’ example would inspire our kababayans to register as overseas voters so they could take part in shaping our country’s political future,” said Paynor.

He also thanked Jollibee for supporting the Consulate’s efforts to promote OAV registration.

To date, the Consulate has registered 8,206 new applicants.

Those who wish to register are requested to personally appear at the Consulate with the original and photocopy of the following documents: For Filipino citizens - valid Philippine passport, for Seafarers - Seaman’s Book, for dual citizens without Philippine passports - Order of Approval or Certificate of Identity or Oath of Allegiance.

Application forms are available at the Consulate or may be downloaded from: www.comelec.gov.ph/oav/2013_natl_local/downloadables/reg_forms.html or you may contact the Consulate at telephone number 415-433-6666, fax number 415-421-2641.

Meanwhile, in an earlier statement, Chairman of the Commission on Elections’ Committee on Overseas Absentee Voting (COAV) Commissioner Lucenito Tagle said, “The Commission is determined to hurdle every stumbling block to reach out to our millions of kababayan who have decided to leave the country to seek their fate in another land. It is our objective to inculcate in them the significant role they play in choosing the leaders of our nation.”

“With the help of the various stakeholders, we keep a positive view that absentee voting will continue to flourish as we hope to reach the one million target of registered absentee voters for the 2013 mid-term elections. Furthermore, we continue to espouse the modernization of the absentee voting procedure for a faster and more accessible mode of voting of overseas Filipinos,” Tagle said. (RJB/LFB-PIA NCR/DFA)