The Philippine Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai are prepared to assist overseas Filipino voters for the upcoming 2025 midterm elections, where they can cast their votes online for the first time.
His Excellency Alfonso Ferdinand Ver, Philippine Ambassador to the UAE, stated that Philippine missions across the UAE are actively reaching out to Filipinos in different emirates, encouraging them to exercise their right to vote.
“Simula ngayon hanggang sa huling araw ng botohan, gagawin namin lahat. Ang Consulate, nagsimula na noong Sabado, mayroon silang outreach sa Fujairah, nag-schedule na kami ng outreach namin sa Al Ain, sa Western Region, all the way up to Ghayathi kung saan dumarami ang mga Pilipino,” Ambassador Ver said in a media briefing.
Hon. Marford Angeles, Consul General in Dubai, also shared that they have set up a dedicated cabin at the Consulate, equipped with devices for voting and pre-enrollment, to assist those who may encounter difficulties with the new voting system.
“We will fit ourselves doon sa kung ano ‘yung need ng mga tao,” Consul General Angeles said.
In the 2022 Presidential Elections, the UAE recorded the highest voter turnout among countries conducting overseas voting. For the upcoming elections, the PCG-Dubai has registered 123,891 voters, while the Philippine Embassy has recorded 66,001.
Pre-voting enrollment
Before participating in online voting, registered overseas voters must complete the enrollment process, which runs from March 20 to May 7, 2025.
Enrollment can be done online through a link provided by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) or in person at voting kiosks set up at Philippine posts in the UAE.
Related story: MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT! Pre-enrollment period for overseas online voting begins
To pre-enroll, voters must provide an active mobile number, a valid email address, and their original Philippine passport. It is important to note that photocopies of passports will not be accepted by the system.
If a registered voter does not have a passport, other valid government-issued IDs, such as the PhilSys ID or a driver’s license, may be used.
Once identification is verified and approved, voters will also have the opportunity to conduct test voting to familiarize themselves with the online voting process. However, the test voting link will be disabled once the official voting period begins on April 13, 2025.
“Kapag nag-enroll kayo bago [mag-April 13], pwede kayong mag-log in agad sa system para mag-test voting. Sa test voting, nakalagay na rin doon yung listahan ng mga kandidato, para ma-familiarize kayo kung paano gumagana yung system, kung paano bumoto para kapag nag-start na yung actual voting period, magiging madali na lang sa atin yung pag process ng boto,” Atty. Ian Michel Geonanga, Deputy Head of the Office of Overseas Voting for COMELEC said.
He also assured the public that stringent security measures—such as layered security architecture, data encryption, and real-time threat monitoring—are in place to maintain the integrity and safety of the online voting system.
For those who do not possess a valid Philippine passport or face challenges with online enrollment, they may visit the nearest Philippine post and present any valid ID for manual identity verification.
The pre-enrollment link can only be accessed via the following:
• COMELEC Official Website: https://comelec.gov.ph/
• Official Social Media Accounts of COMELEC, Philippine Embassies and Consulates (Check the verified pages of your respective Post)
