Call for Filipinos in Bahrain to register for overseas voting

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Filipinos who have not registered yet for the May 2022 Philippine national elections must visit the Embassy of the Philippines located in Mahooz as a personal appearance is required. 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. Overseas registration started in December 2019 and will run until September 30, 2021.

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. All qualified Filipino citizens residing and working abroad – better known as the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) – 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/ 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.

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

Many of them bring their families here.

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

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