The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has revealed that just 48,000 overseas Filipino voters have enrolled for the 2025 elections through its new pre-voting system, a figure far from the 1.231 million registered voters abroad.
“Forty-eight thousands na ang na-i-enroll natin na mga kababayan,” said Comelec Chair George Garcia in a press conference on Friday, expressing hopes that the newly launched online voting option will encourage more participation in the coming polls.
Comelec opened the pre-voting enrollment system for the Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS) on March 20. This initiative allows overseas Filipinos to register using their phones, tablets, or laptops. They may also visit Philippine embassies or consulates with available voting kiosks or attend scheduled field enrollments.
“Sana man lang dahil internet voting tayo kahit 1.231 million lang botante, sana man lang maka-50% more,” Garcia added, noting that the voter turnout during the last overseas election, though a record-high at 40.59%, still left significant room for improvement.
Garcia highlighted that the internet voting setup especially benefits seafarers who no longer need to dock just to vote. “Kahit sa kanilang paglalayag sa barko, may cellphone, laptop, iPad—makakaboto na po sila,” he emphasized.
Out of 90 Philippine foreign posts, 77 are set to implement the OVCS, while 16 will still use automated counting machines. The online voting period for overseas voters begins April 13 and runs until May 12.
Filipinos encountering issues with the pre-voting enrollment are advised to contact their nearest embassies for manual assistance.
