RIYADH, 3 May 2004 - Voting hours at the Philippine Embassy will be revised starting today to accommodate more Overseas Filipino Workers who may be facing time constraints, an official said yesterday.
Instead of the 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. schedule, the new voting hours will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., said Minister Mariano Dumia, the embassy's charge d'affaires. "The new schedule will be in force until May 9. On May 10, which is the election day in the Philippines, the voting hours will only be from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.," he told Arab News by phone.
Dumia said voting in Riyadh, as well as in Alkhobar and Jeddah will have to be closed at 10 a.m. on May 10, which corresponds to the 3 p.m. closing time in the Philippines, as set by the Commission on Election (Comelec).
"We are adjusting the schedule hoping that our compatriots who have difficulty with their working hours would be able to come and cast their votes," he said. He urged those who have yet to vote not to squander their opportunity to exercise their right to choose their own leaders.
About 97,000 Filipinos in the Kingdom have been registered to participate in the Philippines' first overseas absentee voting exercise. The world overall total of Filipino absentee voters is more than 360,000, with Saudi Arabia topping the list with the biggest voting population, followed by Hong Kong.
Overseas voters will be choosing the next Philippine president, vice president, 12 senators and a party-list group for the House of Representatives.
Dumia said the votes cast in Riyadh will be counted at the embassy, while those in Alkhobar will be counted at the International Philippine School in Alkhobar (IPSA), where the voting is also taking place.
