Spark the change: Pinoys in US urged to vote in 2010 elections

FRANCISCO ­— The Philippine government aims to increase voter turnout among overseas Filipinos by holding two drives this year for aspiring voters.

“We want to encourage as many of our overseas Filipinos to make a difference by having a greater role in the political process," Consul Wilfredo Santos said at the campaign launch held at the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco. “It’s one way for them to do their duty as citizens."

Through Aug. 31, overseas Filipino citizens and Filipino-Americans with dual citizenship wishing to vote in the May 10, 2010 Philippine election could register with the Philippine Consulate General in their region.

In 2003, overseas Filipinos became eligible to vote in national elections with the approval of The Overseas Absentee Voting Act. Yet, participation in the subsequent elections fell below expectations. A mandate for dual citizens to sign an Affidavit of Intent to Return as well as the inaccessibility of registration sites accounted for the low turnout.

While personal appearance at the registration sites is still required in order to document registrants’ biometrical data, the San Francisco Consulate would make registration easier by holding two drives this year in each of the states within its consular mission, namely Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, and Northern Nevada.

Filipinos must present their passports while Filipino-Americans who hold dual citizenship must present their identification, as well as their Oath of Allegiance or Order of Approval.

Santos said that higher voter participation from the estimated 10 million Filipinos living overseas could indeed effect elections in the Philippines if the numbers are significant. However the turnout, he explained, “is not there yet."

A report by the Philippine Commission on Filipinos Overseas showed that by the end of 2006, the number of Filipinos living overseas reached over 8.2 million with over 2.7 million residing in the United States.

During that year’s election, 4,800 Filipinos under the San Francisco Philippine Consulate General’s jurisdiction registered. Of that number only 1,200 people voted, translating to a voter turnout of 22 percent.

“We hope that with this renewed campaign that we will have a greater turnout," Santos said. “We should increase that number."

Santos confirmed that more funds will be invested in this latest push for absentee voter registration, but was unable to comment on the dollar amount the Philippine government will dedicate toward it.

“Of course, resources are being obtained," he said. “That’s how important this exercise is for us."

Yolanda Stern, president of the Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce, was first in line to register as an absentee voter. Stern said that she did not participate in the last election because the absentee voting policy had “compromised language that made absentee voting difficult."

“This time around the law has been changed," she said. “We can register once for life and we get to vote by mail. So there’s absolutely no reason why we shouldn’t vote, unless we’re too lazy to fill out our ballots. We can do something for the Philippines. Every vote counts."

Stern says that keeping the bridge between overseas Filipinos and their home country strong is very important, largely because of the economic impact they make with their remittances. A recent Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas report showed that overseas Filipinos remitted over $15 million between January and November in 2008.

“The remittances sent by the overseas Filipinos keep the country afloat, and it does so time after time after time," Stern said.

Carlos Dimaano, immigrated to the United States just under one-and-a-half years ago and currently works as a desk officer at the San Francisco’s Bayanihan Community Center. Before immigrating here he worked for six years in Saudi Arabia as a store technician and frequently sent money back to his parents in the Philippines.

“Whether I’m in America or anywhere else in the world, I should be able to vote because I’m sending money back to my family and contributing a lot to the economy back home," Dimaano said.

Dimaano added that Overseas Filipino Workers should exercise their right to vote because one day they may decide to return to the Philippines.

“Who’s to say that I will stay here for the rest of my life?" he said. “Maybe one day something will happen and I will need to go back. That’s life." - Philippine News

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