JEDDAH, 9 June 2006 — A fiesta of sorts have been scheduled for two Fridays at the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah to celebrate the 108th anniversary of the declaration of Philippine Independence.

Consul General Pendosina N. Lomondot said various activities have been lined up at the consulate on June 16 and 24, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and everyone is invited.

Among the activities are a free medical and dental clinic, with Pinoy doctors, dentists, nurses and other health workers doing volunteer work in keeping with the bayanihan spirit that Filipinos are known for.

Not to be outdone are professional hairdressers, barbers and masseurs, who will also give free haircut and massage.

An Inter-Hospital Women Volleyball Cup, an art gallery, a board games competition (on June 23) are also included, among other activities.

Food lovers will not be disappointed: one of the main features of the fiesta will be a food bazaar featuring various Filipino delicacies.

OAV Registration

Consul General Lomondot said consulate staff will also be working overtime on those two Fridays to accommodate those who wish to register as overseas absentee voters.

Applications will be accepted for processing from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Applicants are required to present the original or photocopy of their valid Philippine passport to the consulate staff at the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) section.

For those who cannot present their original passports (that is, the passport is under the custody of the employer), or who don’t have a photocopy of their passport, the following supporting documents would be accepted:

• Philippine driver’s license

• SSS card

• Employment card

• Birth certificate

• Marriage contract

• Any other identification document

Consul General Lomondot said OFWs should take advantage of the two registration days to avoid long queues when the deadline approaches.

The OAV registration, which started on Oct. 1, last year, will end on Aug. 31.

In next year’s elections, overseas voters will vote for candidates for 12 of 24 Senate seats up for grabs and party-list representatives.