Philippine officials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have reported a rise in voter turnout among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as the deadline for online voting approaches.

While exact figures have yet to be released, Special Board of Elections (SBE) Chair Vice Consul Kevin Mark Gomez said the surge was expected, especially after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) extended the online voting deadline.

Gomez attributed the increase to recent outreach efforts in the Western Region, Al Ain, and Abu Dhabi.

However, he noted that some Filipinos opted not to vote after learning manual voting was no longer available.

“As SBE chair, we’re here to assist with the online voting process and make sure everything runs smoothly. We explain the system and listen to concerns, as long as they’re expressed respectfully,” Gomez said.

The Philippine Embassy in the UAE reminded the public that self-enrollment for online voting ends Saturday, 10 May. The online system will automatically close on 12 May at 3 PM UAE time.

The UAE has the largest population of registered OFW voters at 189,892 — 66,001 in Abu Dhabi and 123,891 in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.