Republic of the Philippines

COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS
Intramuros, Manila
Education and Information Department

PRESS RELEASE
Ref: James Arthur B. Jimenez
Director IV, Education and Information Department
Commission on Elections
Tel. No. (+632) 525-9294
Date: March 17, 2015

COMELEC to expand iRehistro Project to all Foreign Service Posts

worldwide
More qualified overseas Filipino voters will now have the chance to fill up voter registration forms
online after the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) ruled to expand its iRehistro Project to all
Foreign Service posts worldwide.

Following the successful pilot-testing of online accomplishment of voter registration forms at the
Philippine Embassy in Madrid, Philippine Ambassador to Spain His Excellency Carlos Salinas and
DFA Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS) Chairman Usec. Rafael E. Seguis, highly
recommended the adoption of the iRehistro Project in all 85 Foreign Service Posts worldwide.

Acting on the recommendation of the DFA-OVS, the COMELEC En Banc issued Minute Resolution
No. 15-0147 on February 24, 2015 approving the recommendation and allotting funds for the
purpose.

Usec. Seguis said the iRehistro Project cuts the time needed for the registration process in half
and that the online accomplishment of forms is a sufficient incentive for potential registrants to
resort to the iRehistro system instead of the traditional method of voter registration.

[iRehistro] will provide an alternative mode for potential registrants. In order to encourage new
registrants, we have to offer them as many choices/options as possible so that they can select
the mode of registration that best suits them. The iRehistro system is one such alternative, and a
very attractive one at that, said Usec. Seguis.

The DFA-OVS Chairman also noted that the iRehistro Project will also be of tremendous use to
Filipino seafarers. If iRehistro system is adopted for all Posts, those whose jurisdictions include
ports where ships carrying Filipino seamen dock can expect a big jump in their registration
figures, he said.

COMELEC Spokesman James Jimenez said the poll body expects a major spike in the Overseas
Filipino voter registration turnout with the forthcoming expansion of the iRehistro Project at all
Foreign Service Posts. Jimenez urged all qualified Filipino voters overseas to visit the COMELECs
official website www.comelec.gov.ph for more information on the iRehistro Project. ###