The Department of Foreign Affairs-Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS), in partnership with the Commission on Elections–Office for Overseas Voting (COMELEC-OFOV), has conducted a regional on-site training for Philippine Foreign Service Posts (FSPs) in the Americas, as preparations intensify for the continuing registration of overseas voters for the 2028 Philippine Presidential Elections.
Held in Honolulu, the training brought together representatives from Philippine Embassies in Washington D.C., Brasilia, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Mexico, and Ottawa, as well as Consulates General in Agana, Calgary, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Vancouver. Personnel from other posts, including Brunei, Yangon, and Osaka, also participated.
Newly designated Overseas Voting Chairperson Undersecretary Leo M. Herrera-Lim, who led the opening day, commended the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu for hosting the activity and urged FSP representatives to actively promote overseas voter registration as a key way to protect the political rights of Filipinos abroad.
Philippine Consul General Arman R. Talbo welcomed the participants, while Comelec Commissioner Aimee Ferolino, Commissioner-in-Charge of the Office for Overseas Voting, called on FSPs to sustain close coordination to ensure strong overseas voter turnout.
Participants who will serve as Administering Officers and members of the Resident Election Registration Boards were trained on the general instructions for overseas voter registration and certification.
Designated Voter Registration Machine Operators also underwent hands-on training on the voter registration machines to be used in overseas registration. Similar regional trainings for Europe and the Middle East were conducted in November 2025.
The DFA-OVS reminded Filipinos abroad that overseas voter registration for the 2028 Philippine Elections will officially run from December 1, 2025 to September 30, 2027.
All Filipino citizens residing overseas who will be at least 18 years old on or before May 8, 2028 (Election Day) and are not disqualified by law are encouraged to register.
Applications may be filed at any Philippine Embassy, Consulate, or the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), as well as at designated registration venues abroad and local field registration centers in DFA-ASEANA, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO).
The DFA-OVS and Comelec-OFOV urged eligible overseas Filipinos to register early and take part in the 2028 Presidential Elections, underscoring that participation in overseas voting helps strengthen Philippine democracy.