More than 50 Filipino community leaders in Abu Dhabi joined a training and information session on Internet Voting for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. Led by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and the Department of Foreign Affairs-Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS), in partnership with the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the two-day event took place on October 25-26, 2024.
This Abu Dhabi session marked the sixth stop in an eight-part rollout designed to introduce the online voting system for Overseas Filipinos in the May 2025 National and Local Elections. Ambassador to the UAE, H.E. Alfonso A. Ver, noted the significance of the initiative, calling it “the biggest change in empowering our Overseas Filipinos since Overseas Voting began in 2004.” Ver emphasized that the new system allows overseas voters to directly influence the nation’s leadership and governance through a modernized voting approach.
Throughout the two-day event, Ambassador Ver and COMELEC Commissioner Marlon Casquejo led open forum discussions, answering questions from personnel of Philippine embassies and consulates across the MEA region on Day 1 and from Abu Dhabi-based Filipino leaders on Day 2. The initiative comes on the heels of high voter turnout among Middle Eastern posts in the 2022 elections, where Dubai led globally, and Abu Dhabi ranked fifth.
Highlighting the broader impact of the initiative, Ver remarked, “The collective power of our Overseas Filipinos can be a significant force for the country.” He added, “To make this endeavor truly work, all pillars must align: the first with the Government leading the positive change, the second securing the appropriate technology, and third the strong and active support of our community.”
