The Commission on Elections announced today that the total number of approved Filipino overseas absentee voters (OAV) now reached 17,061 after Resident Election Registration Boards (RERBs) of the poll body's Committee on Absentee Voting (COAV) approved last May 5, 2009; 12,310 applications for OAV registration.

During the RERB's first meeting last April 4, 2009, a total of 4,751 applications were approved, the COMELEC said.

But while the figures seem a bit low, COMELEC spokesman James Jimenez noted that the number of overseas Filipinos lining up in various Philippine Posts and Consulates worldwide to have themselves registered "is very encouraging."

"As of Friday, June 26, we have a total of 115,635 OAV registrants. The number - which is reasonably high, considering a range of unavoidable limitations overseas - is very encouraging. It motivates us further to heighten our coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs and overseas Filipino groups worldwide to step up our campaign to encourage wider electoral participation among our compatriots abroad," said Jimenez.

According to Jimenez, the United States of America (USA) posted the most number of OAV registrants with 18,785. It was followed by China with 12,397; the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with 8,210; the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) with 6,443 and Singapore with 4,843. Meanwhile, Canada registered 4,514; Taiwan had 4,462; United Kingdom 4,216; Japan 3,909 and Italy 3,055.

Jimenez said the list of approved applications for OAV registration can now viewed at the COMELEC website www.comelec.gov.ph.

The OAV registration period started February 1, 2009 and will run until August 31, 2009, he said. ###