The first day of the overseas absentee voting in the UAE welcomed overseas Filipino workers with a well-organized, carefully planned structure and process at the Philippine Embassy in the UAE and the Philippine Consulate in Dubai.
Jimmy Petinez, an OFW based in Abu Dhabi for over nine years, cast the first vote at the Philippine Embassy in UAE. He was already at the gates before 6:00 am and managed to finish voting within 10 minutes when his turn came up to vote.
“Dati doon lang po sa kabila ang mga prisinto ng botohan, ngayon mas organized na siya. Mas maganda po pag maaga para madaling matapos,” said Jimmy in an interview with The Filipino Times.
The UAE has now the largest overseas Filipino voters with 290,182 registered landbased Filipinos, according to the official voters’ list from the embassy and the consulate. Of this number, 191,779 are from Dubai and the Northern Emirates, while 98,403 more are from Abu Dhabi and the Western Regions. This is apart from 19,584 seafarers that may also vote in either mission.
Philippine Ambassador to the UAE, H.E. Hjayceelyn Quintana affirmed that the Embassy is all set for the month-long elections.
“As the authority fully deputized by COMELEC, the Embassy has made complete preparations to receive our kababayans who will be exercising their right to suffrage with the resources that we have. The national elections is a time for Filipinos to come together in unity and display our spirit of patriotism and cooperation for an orderly and peaceful democratic process,” said Amb. Quintana.
OFW voters were given guidance by personnel from the Embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office who donned their barongs and national dresses which made it easy to distinguish them for OFWs who require help and assistance for the process.
“It serves to emphasize who is from the Embassy and who can be asked for guidance and for help. Ready po kami na tanggapin ang ating mga kababayan bilang botante at i-g-guide po namin kayo hanggang sa inyong pagboto dahilan po iyon ang inatasan sa aming gawin because we were deputized by the COMELEC. We are ready,” said Consul General Marford Angeles.
