With just a couple of years before the May 2028 presidential elections, the government has begun reviewing policies and procedures for overseas voting, as millions of Filipinos abroad continue to face barriers in registering and casting their ballots.
The Department of Foreign Affairs–Office for Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS) joined the Commission on Elections’ stakeholders forum on the draft Terms of Reference for the proposed Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS) and Secure Electronic Transmission Services (SETS) for the 2028 national and local elections.
The forum, held on May 11 at the Ayuntamiento in Manila, formed part of Comelec’s early consultations on how to make overseas voting more accessible, efficient, secure, and convenient for Filipinos living and working abroad.
The review comes amid persistent concerns over low overseas voter participation despite the size of the Filipino diaspora. DFA data placed the number of overseas Filipinos at about 10.8 million as of July to December 2024, while government statistics based on Philippine Statistics Authority data put the number of overseas Filipino workers at around 2.19 million in 2024.
Yet only around 1.2 million Filipinos abroad were expected to be registered overseas voters in the 2025 election cycle — a small fraction of the total overseas Filipino population. Reports also indicated that many registered voters still failed to cast their ballots, with around one million registered overseas Filipinos reportedly unable to vote in the 2025 midterm elections.
For years, overseas voting has been hampered by distance from embassies and consulates, limited voting posts, work constraints, travel costs, documentary requirements, and uneven access to timely information. The rollout of online voting in 2025 was also met with complaints over enrollment difficulties, system glitches, low pre-enrollment rates, and concerns about voter trust and ballot accuracy.
During the forum, Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia emphasized the need for early preparation, transparency, and modernization to strengthen the country’s electoral system.
DFA-OVS Vice Chairperson Raul H. Dado said the department remains committed to working with Comelec’s Office for Overseas Voting and the country’s foreign service posts to improve the process for Filipinos abroad.
“The DFA-OVS reiterates its steadfast commitment to supporting the Comelec-OFOV (Office for Overseas Voting) through our foreign service posts in its continued efforts to make overseas voting more accessible, efficient, secure, and convenient for Filipinos living and working abroad,” Dado said.
“This commitment is especially directed toward assisting our fellow Filipinos who face challenges in traveling to Philippine embassies and consulates for voter registration and the casting of their votes, ensuring that every qualified overseas voter is given a fair and meaningful opportunity to participate in the democratic process regardless of distance or circumstance,” he added.
The forum was attended by representatives from civil society organizations, citizens’ arms, the Commission on Filipino Overseas, the Department of Migrant Workers, the Manila Economic and Cultural Offices, and members of the media.
Stakeholders were invited to submit comments and recommendations on the draft terms of reference as Comelec continues consultations for the 2028 elections.
The DFA-OVS also reminded Filipinos abroad that overseas voter registration for the 2028 national and local elections resumed on Dec. 1, 2025 and will run until Sept. 30, 2027.
Filipino citizens abroad who will be at least 18 years old on or before May 8, 2028, election day, and who are not otherwise disqualified by law, may register at any Philippine embassy, consulate, MECO, or other designated registration venue in the Philippines and overseas.
The DFA-OVS and Comelec urged eligible Filipinos abroad to register early and take part in the democratic process.
For more information, Filipinos overseas may check the official websites and social media pages of the nearest Philippine embassy, consulate, or MECO.