The Commission on Elections, through the promulgation of Resolution No. 9903, approved the piloting of the iRehistro Project (internet registration) for overseas voter registration, the Department of Foreign Affairs – Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS) announced on Friday, October 17. DFA said the pilot project will be implemented by the Philippine Embassy in Madrid, Spain (Madrid PE), beginning the first week November 2014 for a period of one month, to cover both sea-based and land-based registrants. Within thirty days of its initial implementation, Madrid PE shall submit its report and recommendation on the viability to continue the implementation of the project. If the pilot IRehistro Project is found to be viable, other Philippine foreign service posts may then request for inclusion in the project.
Last 03 October, the Overseas Voter Registration Center (OVRC) at the Overseas Worker Welfare Administration (OWWA) was inaugurated. This is the third OVRC to be launched in preparation for the 2016 Presidential Elections. The first OVRC is in the DFA-Office of Consular Affairs (DFA-OCA) in Macapagal Avenue, Paranaque City, and the second OVRC is in the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) in Quirino Avenue, Manila.
Last September (fifth month of registration), overseas voter registration continued to accelerate by reaching a monthly tally of 42,482. The tally for May was 18,670; 20,836 in June; 24,366 in July; and 38,945 in August, bringing five month total of new overseas registrant to 145, 299.
The opening of more OVRCs (POEA, NAIA 1, 2 & 3, and other locations) and the full implementation of internet registration for overseas voters, will help sustain the momentum towards reaching the ambitious but statistically attainable goal of one million new overseas voter registrants by 31 October 2015.
Full Article: PIA | Comelec approves pilot project for internet overseas voter registration.