Alyansa woos overseas voters, OFWs as absentee voting starts April 13
Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidates. File photo.
MANILA, Philippines — Problems affecting overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) now can be solved if they pick the right candidates, Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas campaign manager and Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco said on Thursday.
In a statement, Tiangco urged OFWs to help elect senatorial candidates who will fight for their welfare, as the overseas absentee voting draws near.
Under the Commission on Election (Comelec) schedule, overseas absentee voting starts on April 13, Saturday in Manila, to May 12.
“Your vote matters now more than ever,” Tiangco said. “The challenges facing OFWs today — contract violations, rising costs, family separation — can only be solved if we put the right leaders in place.”
‘Let’s work together’
“Your vote is your voice. Let’s work together for a Bagong Pilipinas that includes every Filipino, no matter where in the world they may be,” he added.
According to Tiangco, the sacrifices of OFWs are invaluable, and one way of ensuring that migrant workers’ welfare are protected is to vote for candidates who will support them and initiate concrete action once they are in the Senate.
“Our kababayan abroad may be far from home, but their votes carry the weight of millions of families they continue to support. The best way to protect their sacrifices is to elect leaders who will fight for them,” Tiangco said.
“Giving praise to OFWs is not enough, they need concrete action. That begins with representation in the Senate that truly understands their struggles and will push policies to uplift their lives,” Tiangco added in mixture of English and Filipino.
According to Comelec figures, over 1.2 million Filipinos abroad are registered voters. A huge chunk of these voters can be found in major OFW hubs like the United Arab Emirates (189,892), United States (178,033), Saudi Arabia (130,711), Hong Kong (83,330), and Taiwan (71,009).
READ: Almost 5,000 OFWs pre-enroll for internet voting – Comelec
`Pushing key reforms’
Tiangco said Alyansa is united in “pushing key reforms for OFWs, including accessible consular assistance, stronger legal protection, reintegration support, and more job opportunities in the Philippines to reduce forced migration.”
Alyansa, a coalition between five political parties including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, is fielding an 11-person slate:
- Former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos
- Makati City Mayor Abby Binay
- Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla
- Senator Pia Cayetano
- Former Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson
- Senator Lito Lapid
- Former Senator Manny Pacquiao
- Former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III
- Senate Majority Leader Francis “Tol” Tolentino
- ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo,
- Deputy Speaker Camille Villar
Alyansa has taken a break for the second week of April, and is expected to resume its campaign sorties after the Holy Week. The slate’s most recent stop was in Antipolo City, Rizal, which Tiangco considered a crucial battleground for the 2025 midterm elections.
