Slow start for Philippine overseas absentee voting in UAE

Dubai - Worldwide, there are around 1.78 million overseas Filipino voters.

The month-long Philippine overseas absentee voting (OAV) had a slow start on Saturday but the top Filipino diplomat in Dubai is confident that the turnout of voters will increase in the coming days.
More than 300 voters turned up at the Philippine Consulate in Dubai as of 2pm on Saturday. Polling stations opened at 8am and will close at 9pm.
"Compared to the 2016 presidential elections, the number is small because at that time we had more than 1,200 voters on opening day," Philippine Consul-general Paul Raymund Cortes explained.
He told Khaleej Times: "Historically, we experience a lower turnout of voters during mid-term elections, where 12 senate seats and a party-list representation in congress are being contested."
"But the overseas voting in the UAE will run until May 13 to give Filipinos more time to participate in the electoral process and cast their votes at their convenient time," Cortes added.

The Philippines Embassy in Abu Dhabi also opened at 8am for the first day of mid-term voting.
Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Hjayceelyn M. Quintana said there has been a 51 per cent increase in voter registration over 2016 presidential election and the turnout on the opening day was a good sign.
Quintana said the embassy has created awareness among Filipinos on importance of voting.
"We have been reaching out since the registration period started in December 2016. The 22-month process was completed by September 2018. Last election we had 71,000 registered voters and now it's 109,900. So that's an increase of 51 per cent," Quintana said and noted the voter turnout of 30 per cent in 2016.
The ambassador said there are six precincts in two buildings to vote. "We have enough provisions to handle more people," she said.
Meanwhile, Alpha Phi Omega Abu Dhabi Alumni Association president Garry Burnnopp said the turnout was more than expected.
"Apart from the embassy, all community associations have tried to create awareness through messages on social media. This is good turnout for the first day of a month-long process," said Burnnopp, adding: "Most Filipinos stay far away from the embassy and that's the reason for lower turnout.
In 2016, when Rodrigo Duterte was elected president, 31 per cent or 37,972 out of 122,185 registered Filipino voters in Dubai cast their votes. That was a big leap from the 2013 midterm elections that saw a dismal 6.35 per cent or 3,545 of the 55,842 voters who cast their ballots.
Filipinos working abroad help prop up the Philippine economy. Last year, they remitted around $32.21 billion, up by up three percent from $31.29 billion in 2017
Worldwide, there are around 1.78 million overseas Filipino voters and the Philippine Consulate in Dubai has recorded the highest number of electorate among all diplomatic posts in the world with 209,862 voters.
NUMBERS
319,000+ registered Filipino voters in the UAE
1.78 million Filipino voters worldwide
209,862 registered Filipino voters in Dubai
109,900 registered Filipino voters in Abu Dhabi
$32.21 billion - amount remitted to the Philippines by overseas Filipino workers in 2018
angel@khaleejitimes.com
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com

First to cast vote in Dubai
Election volunteer Mandel de la Cruz arrived at the Philippine Consulate at 6.30am and was the first to cast his vote when the polls opened at 8am.
He had a list of his preferred 12 senatorial candidates and it took him less than five minutes to finish the electoral process, including verification of his name in the voter's list, shading the oval preceding the candidate's name on the paper ballot and feeding it to the vote counting machine.
"I came early because I wanted to exercise my right to choose our next lawmakers. It is important that we elect the candidates who will really advance the interests of overseas Filipinos," he said.
angel@khaleejitimes.com

Philippines missions to stay open for 30 days
The Philippine missions in the UAE will be open for 30 days until May 13 for the mid-term elections overseas voting.
"We will be open for a month without any weekends. There will be no holidays, including the Holy Week. The Commission on Elections has withdrawn earlier announcement on holidays)," Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Hjayceelyn M. Quintana told Khaleej Times.
"According to a new resolution, we will be open on April 18 (Maundy Thursday) and 19 (Good Friday) from 9 am to 5 pm. Only on the last day of voting, i.e., May 13 we will synchronise time with process held in the Philippines and end by 2 pm (6pm in the Philippines)," she added.
Election timings at the Philippine Consulate in Dubai, meanwhile, are from 8am to 9pm until May 12 and 6am to 2pm on May 13.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com

Community groups share embassy's poll duties
Bayanihan Council, the umbrella organisation of 70 Filipino community groups in Abu Dhabi, is at the forefront serving as volunteers to ensure a smooth election process at the embassy.
"Bayanihan Council is the sole organisation recognised by the embassy. We have 15,000-20,000 members across the 70 associations. Since there are only few officials at the embassy, we are here to help as volunteers," Bayanihan Council chairman Elmer O. Casao said.
Their role varies from guiding Filipinos to right poll booths, helping them find names on list to simply opening door with a smile for the voters.
"They (volunteers) are a big help for us as we manage the voting and normal services at the embassy. They can also see how the election is being conducted in fair and transparent way," said Ambassador Hjayceelyn M. Quintana.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE