Filipino expats urged to register to vote in 2016 elections

Filipinos in the UAE are being urged to register to vote in the Philippine elections in 2016, ahead of the October 31 deadline. Officials at the Philippine Consulate in Dubai and the northern emirates have set up field registration sites to encourage more people to sign up. Residents in and around Jebel Ali can register at St. Francis Church on Friday, October 16. The consulate is also open on Fridays and Saturdays from 9am to 3pm, and officials are mulling extending consulate hours from Sunday to Thursday. Deputy Consul General Giovanni Palec says there are currently 63,000 new voters across the six emirates, adding that the use of biometrics and online pre-registration have made it easier and more convenient to register.