The Commission on Elections, in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs – Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS), has rolled out an online voter registration system for Filipinos based in Middle East and Africa.
The iRehistro system will be implemented by the following Foreign Service Posts (FSPs) : Philippine Embassies in Abu Dhabi, Abuja, Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Doha, Kuwait, Manama, Muscat, Nairobi, Pretoria, Riyadh, Tehran plus the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai and Jeddah effective May 8, 2015
Last Tuesday, May 5, FSPs in Europe and Israel rolled out the iRehistro system for overseas Filipinos in their respective areas.
iRehistro is an online system that provides another way of accomplishing forms for voter registration. Prospective applicants still have to appear personally at Foreign Service Posts or Mobile/Field registration sites, to sign and submit their duly accomplished printed form, and for biometrics capturing. In addition, the processed applications still have to be approved by the Resident Election Registration Board (RERB).
Comelec commissioner Al A. Parre?o, who conceptualized and is in charge of the implementation of iRehistro, offered the technology to the Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS) last September 2014.
As a result, a pilot project was initiated with the Philippine Embassy in Madrid, Spain, in November 2014, and was concluded in January 2015.
Based on Madrid PE?s recommendation, with a favorable endorsement from DFA-OVS, the Comelec approved the implementation of iRehistro for the entire Foreign Service.
Regional training for Voter Registration Machine Operators in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Americas region has just been completed. The rollout of iRehistro for the Americas region is next, while training and implementation for FSPs in the Asia Pacific region is being planned for the end of this month.
Overseas Filipinos in the Middle East and Africa now have the option of filling up the forms from the comfort of their homes, workplace, cybercaf?, or anywhere they have access to Internet connection.
The optional appointment feature of the system allows for better time management since it provides an easy way to schedule their personal appearance at a FSP or mobile/field registration site.
The FSPs also benefit from iRehistro since the optional appointment system, if used can accurately, can inform the post on how many registrants to expect on a given day, thus giving them a heads up on how to adjust for the walk-ins.
Filipino citizens who expect to be in Europe, Middle East and Africa during the 30-day (09 April- 09 May 2016) overseas voting period for the 2016 presidential elections, at least 18 years old on 09 May 2016, may go to www.iRehistro.com or www.comelec.gov.ph to access the iRehistro System to register as an overseas voter. The voter registration period ends on 31 October 2015.
