Filipino voters in the UAE continue to practice their right to suffrage at the Embassy and the Consulate in droves to vote for their preferred candidates for the ongoing 30-day overseas absentee voting.
Philippine Ambassador to the UAE, H.E. Amb. Hjayceelyn Quintana highlighted that many registered voters took the opportunity to vote early for the past three weeks.
The UAE has the most number of registered land-based voters overseas, with over 290,182 voters. Streamlined processes for overseas voting in the UAE have optimized timings anywhere from 10-15 minutes per voter across all precincts.
“Ang Embassy sa Abu Dhabi at Consulate General sa Dubai ay nagagalak sa magandang turn-out sa pagboto sa nakaraang tatlong linggo. Para sa mga botante, naging kapansin-pansin ang maayos at banayad na proseso sa pagboto ngayong taong ito. Ako ay nagpapasalamat sa matibay na kooperasyon na ipinapakita ng ating mga kababayan sa UAE, isang pagpapatunay ng kanilang pag-galang sa karapatang pagboto ng bawat Pilipino saan man sila sa ibayong-dagat naroroon,” said Amb. Quintana.
For his part, Consul General Renato Dueñas Jr. of Dubai reminds the public that there are only a few days left, and hopes that OFWs will take advantage of the consulate’s availability during the holidays and the weekends to vote.
“To all those registered overseas voters in Dubai and the Northern Emirates who have yet to cast their ballot, we only have a few days left before the final day of voting on 09 May. So if you’re qualified to vote in the national elections in 2022, I strongly urge you to exercise your right to vote,” said Consul General Dueñas.
Authorities anticipate that more Filipinos will be heading out to vote as the May 9 deadline draws near. In the 2016 and 2019 elections, voters usually arrive at the last minute to try and catch up to vote.
However, both missions advise the public that voting precincts will only remain open until 3:00 pm on the final day of elections, in sync with the Philippines’ 7:00 pm closing.
