Ambassador Nestor Z. Ochoa of the Philippine Embassy is inviting Filipinos to register for overseas absentee voting (OAV) at the Church of our Lady of the Assumption on Sunday, 03 June 2012, from 0845H to 1145H.

Eligible Voters. All citizens of the Philippines abroad, not otherwise disqualified by law, at least eighteen (18) years of age on the day of the election, and who wish to vote for Senators and Party-List Representatives for purposes of the 13 May 2013 National Elections may file applications for registration/certification as overseas absentee voters up to 31 October 2012.

"We encourage our countrymen to take advantage of the mobile registration at COLA. Voters' registration is free of charge," said Ambassador Ochoa.

Philippine Passport and Other Requirements. To facilitate registration and accomplishment of the registration form for OAV, applicants are requested to bring a valid Philippine passport or a copy thereof as proof of their identity. (The passport shall be returned to the applicant as soon as it is photocopied onsite.) A copy of the passport is required as an attachment to the OAV registration form. Without the original passport or its photocopy, the Embassy is unable to process the OAV registration.

Applicants are also required to submit themselves for the live (onsite) capture of their biometrics data through the Voter Registration Machine (VRM).

Registration forms may be downloaded from COMELEC's website through the link http://www.comelec.gov.ph/oav/2013_natl_local/downloadables/reg_forms.html, requested at the Philippine Embassy, or obtained from the Embassy's OAV desk at COLA during the mobile registration on 03 June 2012.

Status of Voter's IDs. Ambassador Ochoa has also confirmed that COMELEC has mailed the voter's IDs directly to the voter's authorized representative in the Philippines.

Filipinos who registered as overseas absentee voters in 2009 may verify through the COMELEC's database the status of their voter's ID. Interested voters may approach the Embassy's OAV desk at COLA for assistance or contact the Embassy during regular office hours.

Inquiries. For further inquiries, the Philippine Embassy in Brunei Darussalam can be reached through office tel. +673 223 8845 or 224 1465; hotline 871 4881; fax no. 223 7707; and email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit our website at philippine-embassybrunei.com

The Philippine Embassy is open on Mondays to Fridays (except public holidays), at 8:30am -12:30pm and 1:30-5:30pm. The Embassy is located at Simpang 336, Diplomatic Enclave, Jalan Kebangsaan, BA 1210 Bandar Seri Begawan and accessible through purple bus nos. 35 and 36.