Increase Number of Registered Voters Overseas (PH0072)

Brief Description of the Commitment

This commitment is to increase the number of registered voters overseas by at least two (2) million registered overseas voters by 2028 Philippine elections to ensure that qualified Filipinos, who will be abroad during the overseas voting period, may still exercise their right of suffrage for the Philippine National Elections. The commitment aims to increase the number of registered overseas voters among qualified Filipinos before their departure from the Philippines.

Problem Definition

1. What problem does the commitment aim to address? The problem that the commitment aims to address is the low number of registered overseas voters. With over 10 million overseas Filipinos, only 1.06 million are registered as overseas voters as of October 2023. Several overseas Filipinos are not registered as overseas voters due to various reasons. These issues are caused by a combination of factors that include lack of accessibility of mechanisms for registration or process of registration (location, schedule, etc.), lack of interest or motivation to participate in Philippine elections, and high mobility of overseas Filipinos. To address this problem, this commitment aims to focus on increasing the number of registered overseas voters before they depart from the Philippines. The COMELEC has undertaken steps to increase overseas and local field registration activities to address the issue of low registration and its potential impact on voter disenfranchisement. Overseas field registration activities are already being implemented abroad by foreign service posts, but additional efforts to conduct even more are necessary to encourage overseas Filipinos in far locations (with respect to the Post with jurisdiction over their residence) or those available only during weekends (due to their work), to register and eventually vote in the national elections. Similarly, local field registration activities are also being implemented. Through Memoranda of Agreement entered with partner agencies (DFA, DMW, MARINA, and CFO), the COMELEC has established local field registration centers (LFRCs) within the premises of the offices of said partner agencies.

2. What are the causes of the problem? 1. The approved budget allocated for the conduct of overseas field registration activities is limited and severely lacking; 2. Manpower complement of the COMELEC-Office for Overseas Voting is insufficient to establish more Local Field Registration Centers at more locations; 3. Lack of accessibility of mechanisms for registration. This includes physical and logistical barriers that prevent individuals from easily registering. There are qualified Filipinos who are only available to visit Embassies/Consulates/LFRCs on weekends due to their work; 4. High mobility of overseas Filipinos due to the nature of their work or period of their employment contract, and unforeseen circumstances such as the onset of the pandemic or conflict between countries leading to repatriation. 5. Lack of interest or motivation to participate in Philippine elections.

Commitment description

1. What has been done so far to solve the problem? The conduct of overseas and local field registration activities is already being undertaken despite the limited budget allocated (for overseas) and lack of manpower complement (for local).

2. What solution are you proposing? 1. Establish partnership with DFA, DMW, CFO, and MARINA to maximize the registration of OFWs and Filipino migrants before they depart the Philippines. 2. Establish active collaboration and partnership with Overseas Filipino Communities - Philippinebased associations, and Professional associations with overseas chapters, accredited PDOS providers (both government and private) in the Philippines. 3. Conduct of registration events in partnership with accredited PDOS providers (both government and private) in the Philippines during the registration cycle. 4. Inclusion of overseas voter registration in the continuing registration for local voters (2024, 2025, 2026, & 2027) local offices of the COMELEC in every city/municipality/district. (with the current set-up, registration for overseas voters is not included in the registration for local voters in the COMELEC offices in the city/municipality/district) 5. Conduct extensive information campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of registering to vote before leaving the country. Utilize various communication channels, including social media, official government websites, and community outreach programs to disseminate information about pre-departure registration opportunities. 6. Establish online registration for overseas voter registrants.

3. What results do we want to achieve by implementing this commitment? By implementing this commitment, a greater number of overseas Filipinos can register as overseas voters and can participate in the Philippine elections. A more comprehensive and diverse representation of overseas Filipinos can be achieved. The voices and preferences of Filipinos overseas are reflected in the electoral process. The conduct of additional local field registration activities in the Philippines, active collaboration and partnerships with overseas Filipino communities through their Philippine-based associations and Professional association, conduct of voter registration in partnership with region-based accredited PDOS providers in major cities in the Philippines, inclusion of registration for overseas voters in the registration for local voters at the local COMELEC offices in every municipality/city/district, setting up online registration, conducting region-based mobile registration activities, and conducting extensive voter registration information awareness campaign will hopefully increase the number of registered overseas voters, which will in turn help increase the overseas voter turnout during national elections. The conduct of more registration activities for overseas voters in the Philippines can provide a convenient opportunity for qualified Filipinos to complete the registration process before traveling abroad. Additional Information This commitment is in line with the Philippine Constitution and the Overseas Voting Act of 2013.

Commitment Analysis

1. How will the commitment promote transparency? By increasing the number of registered overseas voter, a more comprehensive and diverse representation of overseas Filipinos is achieved. This inclusivity promotes transparency by ensuring that the voices and preferences of Filipinos overseas are reflected in the electoral process.

2. How will the commitment help foster accountability? Increased overseas voter registration turnout among Filipinos overseas can influence the prioritization of policies and initiatives that address the needs of overseas Filipino communities. It creates greater scrutiny of how the Philippine government addresses issues relevant to diaspora, such as labor rights, consular services, and support for Filipino migrants.

3. How will the commitment improve citizen participation in defining, implementing, and monitoring solutions?  The conduct of more overseas and local field registration activities, active collaboration and partnerships with overseas Filipino communities through their Philippine-based associations and Professional association, establishment of partnership with region-based accredited PDOS providers in major cities in the Philippines, setting up online registration, as well as conducting region-based mobile registration activities ensure that more overseas Filipino citizens will be able to actively participate in the electoral process.  More overseas Filipino citizens overseas will be able to exercise their right of suffrage even if they are residing in another country during the overseas voting period. This will give them a sense of participation and being involved in what is happening in the Philippines.  Establishing a survey/suggestion box on how to improve the registration process and accessibility from stakeholders.  Sharing information about overseas voter registration through Facebook, Tiktok, and Twitter and creating online feedback forms using google forms accessible online.  Active engagement with comments and responding to questions and addressing concerns through the Facebook page of the Office for Overseas Voting

See action plan for commitment milestones and expected outputs.

Action Plan Review

Commitment 8. Strengthening participation in the SDGs implementation

Commitment 8 seeks to strengthen the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the Stakeholders’ Chamber. Its first two milestones to establish technical working groups and identify key areas for cooperation had already been completed in April 2022—long before the action plan implementation period—with 42 member organizations publicly pledging to collaborate on the SDGs. [76] By early 2024, this figure had already increased to 65 member organizations, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), [77] which indicates that expansion of membership (Milestones 4 and 5) is also underway. Some of the remaining milestones focus on improving internal tools. The SPACE Web Application will be used to coordinate among the chamber members. The Indicator and Strategy Framework is meant to capture contributions of chamber members, in addition to existing monitoring information on government interventions. Other milestones continue established practices within the SDGs framework, like development of policy recommendations by the stakeholders’ chamber and participatory voluntary national review of implementation. In planning for 2026-2028, implementers could introduce innovative participatory practices that incorporate input from new stakeholders, including those beyond the Stakeholders’ Chamber.