Every election is a call to citizenship. But for the millions of Filipinos living and working abroad—including dual citizens who maintain their Filipino identity while building lives overseas—that call is more than a ballot.
It is a quiet yet powerful truth: Though they have crossed borders and live beyond its shores, they have never left home—their hearts and futures remain tied to the Philippines.
As the 2025 Philippine midterm elections close, the country faces not just a political outcome, but a democratic reckoning. For all the progress made—especially the rollout of online voting—the nation still struggles to tap the full potential of its global citizens.
A Sacred Right, Undermined by Disconnection
The overseas vote should be a celebration of democracy without borders. Yet as of May 2, 2025, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) reported that only 58,000 overseas voters had enrolled in the new online voting system—out of an estimated 2 million eligible Filipinos abroad (ABS-CBN News, April 15, 2025). For too many, the right to vote remains blocked—not by apathy, but by mistrust, confusion, and insufficient outreach.
Even the September 30, 2024 registration deadline passed with little fanfare. Many dual citizens and overseas workers discovered too late that they had missed their opportunity—not because they were disengaged, but because they were uninformed.
2025 Is a Turning Point, Not a Defeat
Though the numbers remain low, the significance of the 2025 elections lies in what it teaches us: that enfranchisement is not achieved through platforms alone. It must be built on trust, education, and timing.
If the Philippines wants to realize the full power of the overseas vote by 2028, it must begin now:
- Launch early and multilingual civic education campaigns
- Streamline and simplify registration
- Invest in secure, user-friendly online platforms
- Actively engage dual citizens, seafarers, caregivers, and migrants alike
- Treat overseas voters as full democratic participants—not just economic contributors
From Remittances to Representation
Overseas Filipinos remit more than $36 billion annually, supporting families and powering the national economy. They are often called heroes. Yet heroism without representation is incomplete.
To vote from abroad—whether as an OFW, immigrant, or dual citizen—is not just an act of procedure. It is a patriotic stand. It is saying: I may be distant, but I have not left.
Let us meet that devotion with systems worthy of their sacrifice. Let us build a democracy that hears every voice, regardless of where in the world it speaks from.
