OFW Overseas Absentee Voting last day of registration in Dubai

Last day of registration: October 31, Saturday
Philippine Consulate in Dubai and Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi open daily, weekends included.

Weekdays: 8am to 5pm
Weekends: 9am to 3pm

One reason for the low turnout of overseas voters in previous elections is the lack of interest in the candidates.

Recently, many Filipinos all over the world joined the call to convince Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to run for presidency. He could definitely be a strong force to steer the country to a better direction. He could present a non-traditional yet effective leadership, as what his action-oriented legacy in Davao speaks so loudly. If one of these days he submits himself to the presidential race, are you ready to support him?

Sorry, your Facebook posts and tweets won't just do.

If you are in UAE during the overseas absentee voting period which is April 9 to May 6 next year, register and keep your relevance to the Philippines.

Filipinos, 18 years old and above at the time of election still have until October 31 to register at the Philippine Consulate General office in Dubai or the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi.  The offices will be open on Fridays and Saturdays for the whole month. That leaves us no more excuses at all.

Pre-register

For faster processing, pre-registrer at the iRehistro website. Fill-up the form, download and bring the printed copy to the consulate. With that, you'll just have to spend less time to do your biometrics.

There will also be a special field registration at St. Francis Church in Jebel Ali on October 16, Friday,1 to 5 pm.

Why vote?
Realize that your one vote can really make a difference. The number of eligible voters out of 900,000+ Filipinos in the UAE is very powerful.  We could definitely make a significant impact in selecting the next leaders of the country.

In this era where social media bridges any geographical divide, we cannot disconnect ourselves to our homeland anymore. These days, we have become one of the most vocal sectors that always cry about pathetic governance and policies for so many decades now. Needless to say, we empower the economic aspect of the Philippines as well.

Your participation in the election will keep you relevant and you will always have a valid say about what's going on and how the leaders and (not) doing their jobs . Also, one of the best things we can do for our families in the Philippines is to vote for leaders who we think can improve things in where they stay.  Leaders who can give us peace of  mind, because it's not really about our welfare anymore, it's about the family and friends we left back home.

And if you are an investor, you'd want a leader who can sustain an improving economy and even invite more investors in the country.

Or you may want to vote for a leader who you believe would make the Philippines an ideal place to retire after all these years of being OFWs.

If indeed Mayor Duterte offers himself graciously, don't miss the chance to vote 'wisely.'

Call me bias, but I'd rather be known biased for this call.

And remember, "bawal magreklamo ang hindi bumoto."

OAV registration during passport renewal
If you have an appointment to renew your passport any day this month, the OAV is mandatory and is part of the renewal process already. More info here.