PCGNY.net | News Release

Consulate, NaFFAA-Eastern Region pledge greater cooperation with success of joint Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) registration drive

PHILIPPINE CONSULATE - NEWS RELEASE
14 November 2006

NEW YORK --- New York Consul General Cecilia Rebong and the State Chairs of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA)-Eastern Region today pledged greater cooperation in activities geared towards politically empowering the Filipino-American community. Consul General Rebong and the NaFFAA State Chairs issued this commitment as they noted the successful conclusion of NaFFAA and the Philippine Consulate General’s historic collaboration to sign up more overseas Filipinos for absentee voting. The registration for OAV ended on October 31. Only those who registered as overseas absentee voters pursuant to the Philippine Overseas Absentee Voting Law can vote in the May 11, 2007, and future Philippine national elections.

PCG NY team led by Consul Edgar Badajos (fourth from left) with NaFFAA officers (in yellow t-shirts) and the owners of Tropical Island Grill & Foodmart during the OAV Field Registration in Toms River, New Jersey, on October 22.

In early October, Consul General Rebong and NaFFAA-Eastern Region’s State Chairs met to discuss how they could work together in encouraging more overseas Filipinos to register as absentee voters. That meeting culminated in an agreement whereby NaFFAA-Eastern Region, with its physical presence in almost all the states under the Consulate General’s jurisdiction in the Eastern seaboard, would secure the venue for OAV Field registration and at the same time encourage members of the Filipino-American community to get out and register for Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV). Dates and places were identified for the joint OAV Field Registration drive. These were as follows:

15 October, Milford, Connecticut
21 October, Queens, New York
22 October, Toms River, New Jersey
28 October, Bergenfield and Jersey City, New Jersey
29 October, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

For every place identified, NaFFAA assigned a focal person. Mr. Arnulfo Rosario, Regional Chair of NaFFAA-Eastern Region, and Ms. Rhoda Calma who is State Chair of NaFFAA for Connecticut, were the point persons for Connecticut. For Queens, New York, Mr. Jose Ramos who is also NaFFAA’s State Chair for New York, was the contact person. For Toms River, Bergenfield and Jersey City, the focal person was Mr. Lito Pernia who is also the state chair of NaFFAA for New Jersey. Mr. Pernia was joined in all three places by Atty. Jose Teodoro Mallonga, NaFFAA Eastern Region Vice Chair, and Mrs. Ludi de Asis Hughes, a noted Fil-Am leader in New Jersey. Ms. Nellie Birog-Naoe, NaFFAA’s State Chair for Pennsylvania, was the point person for Philadelphia.

In each of the field registration drives, a consular team headed by a consular officer accepted and processed applications for overseas absentee voting. Due to insistent public demand, however, the consular teams rendered full consular service for the community. This means, accepting even applications for passport and dual citizenship as well as requests for legalization of documents.

Deputy Consul General Millie Santa Maria-Thomeczek administers the oath of allegiance to applicants for dual citizenship during the OAV Field Registration at the Perlas ng Silangan in Queens, New York, on October 21. The applicants later registered for Overseas Absentee Voting.

NaFFAA-Eastern supported the Philippine Consulate General’s OAV registration drive because it dovetailed with the association’s objective of politically empowering Filipinos in America. “NaFFAA believes that political empowerment involves not only deepening our involvement in the political, economic and socio-cultural affairs of this country (the United States), but also exercising good citizenship which means exercising our right of suffrage as Filipino citizens during Philippine national elections,” said one of the NaFFAA State Chairs. Several officers of NaFFAA-Eastern Region earlier applied for dual citizenship.

Consul General Rebong echoed the sentiment expressed by the NaFFAA-Eastern Region State Chairs. She said that “by registering as overseas voters, our kababayans in the United States are giving themselves the power to participate in charting the political future of our motherland.”

Although the Consulate General and NaFFAA-Eastern Region have collaborated in previous community activities, this is the first time that that two have jointly worked on a politically-empowering activity. “This is what makes our collaboration truly a historic one,” said Consul General Rebong.

Vice Consul Leandro Lachica administers the oath of allegiance to applicants for dual citizenship during the OAV Field Registration in Milford, Connecticut, on October 15. The applicants later registered for Overseas Absentee Voting.