The Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah urged overseas Filipino workers on Thursday to register for the 2010 elections before the Aug. 31 deadline for absentee voting registration. Consul Leo Tito Ausan Jr., the consulate's head of the overseas absentee voters office for the Western Region, made the appeal after a consular team conducted a mobile registration in Yanbu on Thursday and Friday last week. At least 500 OFWs in Yanbu registered for the 2010 polls at the Al-Tawhid International School. The youngest was a17-year-old student who will turn 18 at the time of the election. Members of the Alumni of the Alpha Phi Omega Alumni Association in Yanbu helped applicants to make the registration easy for them and provided drinks as well as transporation. Larry Cabago used his car to bring applicants to the registration center while Nelly Manayao distributed application forms. Consul Ausan said the efforts of the Filipino community in Yanbu, hed by Rey Vicencio and the Alpha Phi Omega Alumni Association assisted in the information campaign to encourage OFWs to register. Ausan was glad for the good turn-out of the registration and expected the number of registrants to rise in the next few weeks as the Aug. 31 deadline nears. “Even at the consulate we were able to process about a hundred new registered voters last Friday.” Ausan said.? About 13 million Filipinos are working or living overseas. Saudi Arabia is host to at least 1.2 million Filipino workers. Registration of overseas absentee voters started in February this year. Ausan thanked the Al Tawhid International School for allowing the consulate to use its premises in last weekend's registration and for helping in the information drive. Ausan encourages OFWs to register before the Aug. 31 deadline. He said the registration is open every day from 8:30AM to 4:30PM. Registrants have to bring their passports or at least a copy to register.
