(LegalLaw247.com, January 29, 2012 ) Manila, Philippines -- The poll governing body of the Philippines has announced recently that they are awarding all expense trips to Boracay and other major tourist destinations in the Philippines. This is in a bid to increase the number of OAV registrants in the coming mid-term polls.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC), the poll governing body in the Philippines, has made an announcement that they will be awarding all expense trips to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who will register for the coming elections in 2013. The effort is in a bid to increase the number of registrants for the countrys overseas absentee voting.
The OAV or Overseas Absentee Voting Act was signed into law on February 13, 2003 (Republic Act No. 9189). It is estimated that there are currently about 12 million Filipinos who are out of the country working in different nations across the globe. It was determined that come election time, their voices needed to be heard.
The OAV provides a system for which these citizens of the Philippines who are working or residing outside of the country to cast their votes in an election. The OAV is being implemented by the COMELEC via its OAV committee currently headed by Commissioner Armando Velasco.
The registration for the coming mid-term polls in 2013 began back in November 2011. Unfortunately, the response from the countrys OFW population was no less than dismal to say the least. Of the estimated millions of overseas Filipino workers abroad, only 16,070 have registered to vote in the next polls.
The COMELEC committee in charge of the OAV was dismayed at the registration turn out since the committees goal was to hit one million overseas registrants at the very least. The said travel incentives are geared to attract overseas Filipino workers to register and eventually take part in the coming elections.
Commissioner Velasco clarified that the said all expense paid trips will be raffled off along with other prizes such as duty free shopping gift checks among others. The mechanics of the said raffle is still being worked out and further announcements regarding this will be made soon.
The commissioner and his staff have already cooked up a back up plan in support of this said move. The COMELEC committee is planning to set up registration booths both in the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration office where OFWs get their work permits and in various international airports in the country.
If worse comes to worse, notes Commissioner Velasco, then consular staff members and embassies located in different countries all over the world will come to help and literally visit the OFWs in their homes and places of work just to get them registered.
Other than Boracay with its famous White Beach, the other destinations for the fully paid trips to be raffled off include Baguio City, dubbed as the countrys summer capital. Both Boracay and Baguio are primed as top tourist destinations in the Philippines with thousands of domestic and foreign tourists visiting annually.
For more inside information about all things Boracay, visit http://www.boracayinsider.com.
About Boracay Insider
Boracay Insider is an information website dedicated to gathering tourist related info about the island of Boracay, the Philippines premiere tourist hotspot. The site collates inside information regarding hotels, resorts, restaurants, bars, night life hotspots, sports events, and other things that might interest any visitor to the island.
Boracay Insider
Erica Renalo
+639215678763
erica.renalo@reclinerguides.com
Source: EmailWire.Com
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