FILIPINOS IN SOUTHERN THAILAND AND BANGKOK REGISTER FOR OVERSEAS ABSENTEE VOTING

Filipinos in Songkhla, Had Yai and neighboring provinces in Southern Thailand trooped to Haad Kaew Resort in Songkhla on Friday, 8 May 2009, to register for Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) conducted by a Mobile Consular Team from the Philippine Embassy..  

At the end of the one-day registration, the Mobile Consular Team tallied a total of sixty-four (64) new OAV registrants living in the southern provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, Nakhon Sri Thamarat, Hatyai and Songkhla. First Secretary and Consul General Edgar Badajos, who led the team, described the result as “a very positive development and an indication of the high level of interest among Filipinos in Thailand, particularly in the South, on political developments back home.” There are approximately one-hundred Filipinos in Thailand’s so-called “deep south,” many of whom are working as teachers. 

In March this year, a similar team from the Philippine Embassy also conducted an OAV registration exercise in the northern province of Chang Mai.  During that exercise, the Consular Team recorded a total of 31 new OAV registrants. 

The Philippine Embassy organized the OAV registration in Southern Thailand in coordination with the newly-formed Organization of Filipino Educators in the South of Thailand (OFEST).  The OAV registration was held at the Haad Kaew Resort in Songkhla.  The OAV registration coincided with OFEST’s sports festival, its first major activity as a Filipino organization for the year, and induction of its first set of officers.

To maximize their presence in Songkhla which is 12 to 14 hours by land travel from Bangkok, the Mobile Consular Team held a dialogue with the members of OFEST and other Filipinos who showed up later in the day.  During the dialogue, the consular team fielded questions from the Filcom ranging from the usual consular concerns such as report of civil registry documents, SSS/OWWA contributions, and immigration-related questions to workplace issues. Foremost of the workplace issues raised by the Filcom had to do with their salary, which was reportedly much lower than what their American or British counterparts are receiving. The Consular Team requested Ms. Phyllis Clomata, President of OFEST, to formally write the Philippine Embassy about this problem so that it could be raised by the latter with the appropriate ministries of agencies of the government of Thailand.

Two days later in Bangkok, the Philippine Embassy enrolled 32 additional OAV registrants, this time from among members of the Association of Cordillerans in Thailand (ACT). The registration was held at the Consular Section of the Embassy and coincided with the ACT’s Cordillera Day.

Consul General Badajos (3rd from right) leads the OAV team during the field registration exercises in Songkhla conducted for Filipinos in southern Thailand. Also in the photo are Vice Consul Arquiza (1st-R), Mr. Jayson Ursolino of OFEST(2nd-R), OAV applicant and  OFEST President Ms. Phylis Clomata (2nd-L), and Attache Aquino M. Sultan (leftmost).

Consul General Badajos (center, right) discusses a point in the open forum with members of OFEST duirng the OAV field registration exercise at the Haad Kaew Resort in Songkhla. To his immediate right is Vice Consul Arquiza, who joined in the discussions on Filcom issues ranging from the usual consular concerns such as report of civil registry documents, SSS/OWWA contributions, and immigration-related questions to workplace matters..

The Philippines
Office of the President
Department of Foreign Affairs
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Department of Tourism
Philippine Media
° The Manila Bulletin Online
° The Philippine Daily Inquirer
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Thailand
Office of the Premier
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Thai Media
° Bangkok Post
° The Nation