Fil-Am youth group urges eligible Pinoys to vote in 2016 PHL polls

FYLPRO delegates in a staff meeting. Filipino Reporter photo

WASHINGTON — Filipino American Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) leaders passed a resolution urging qualified Filipino-Americans to exercise their right to vote in the 2016 Philippine presidential, national and local elections, President Bea Querido announced recently.

Overseas absentee voting for the elections is scheduled from April 9 to May 9 next year and eligible Filipino voters may submit an Overseas Voting Form to their respective consulates or by filling out the iRehistro form on the Commission on Elections website at irehistro.comelec.gov.ph.

The deadline to register is Oct. 31.

A copy of the Overseas Voting Form is available on FYLPRO’s website at www.fylpro.org/resources.

“FYLPRO is a group of high-performing, next-generation Filipino American leaders selected from across the U.S. who all strive to make a difference in their communities,” said Querido.

“We agreed to help promote the upcoming elections not only because it is a critical one but we want to send a strong message that the Filipinos in the United States care about the leadership in the Philippines and the future of the Filipino people — our future.”

FYLPRO alumni from across the U.S. flew to New York last summer and agreed to assist with the promotion of the 2016 Philippine Elections.

Querido said FYLPRO delegates who are active community organizers and leaders in various states across the U.S. are urged to coordinate with their respective Philippine consulates on how to promote overseas voting and registration.

“Apathy is a challenge, Filipinos don’t know the impact of their vote,” Querido added.

“Our community needs to come together and voting is one way for us to leverage our voice and simply to demonstrate to our kababayans in the Philippines that we support them and we care.”

Voter turnout in the 2013 elections was dismal, according to numbers collected by the various consular officers.

Out of more than 125,000 registered voters, only less than 14,000 voted — or 11 percent. —Filipino Reporter

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