In an effort to enfranchise as many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Oman as possible, the Embassy conducted an overseas voters registration (OVR) outreach in Salalah, the second biggest city in Oman where there are approximately 4,000 Filipinos. The activity was held from March 13 to 14 with the assistance of the Filipino Community Social Club – Salalah (Filcom-Salalah).  Ms. Rosalie Regalado, the association’s President, expressed gratitude to the Embassy for including Salalah in the outreach schedule.

Among those who came early to register was OFW Vilma A. Antonio, a native of Cagayan Valley. A household service worker for seven years, she asked for her employer’s permission to go to the venue after seeing the Embassy announcement on social media.  She said she was happy that the Embassy conducted an outreach because she really wanted to participate and vote in the next elections.

A young Filipino couple also took the time to register one day before the female spouse was due to give birth to their first baby by operation. Mr. Rodolfo C. Paulino, a Laboratory Technician at the Sultan Qaboos Hospital, accompanied his pregnant wife Jacqueline saying that now that they are about to raise a family, they would like to have a say in  choosing responsible leaders for the country.

The Embassy OVR team was headed by Philippine Consul General Hjayceelyn M. Quintana and assisted by volunteers from Filcom-Salalah. The outreach was covered by local media who viewed the activity as a significant Embassy public service to one of Salalah’s key expat communities.

The Embassy also used the occasion to hold a dialogue with the Filipino community to discuss their other concerns. END