18 March 2013 - Last January the Department of Foreign Affairs – Overseas [Absentee] Voting Secretariat (DFA-OAVS), the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and The Filipino Channel (TFC) had an exploratory meeting to further enhance overseas voting awareness abroad. The said meeting took place at the COMELEC’s main office in Manila. The meeting focused on how to further enhance overseas voting awareness to increase voter participation in the upcoming 2013 national elections.

TFC previously partnered with the DFA and COMELEC during the overseas voting registration that gave a boost to the two agencies’ vigorous information drive carrying the campaign slogan, YOUR VOTE … is our future … (BOTO NYO … kinabukasan namin …) through the dynamic and innovative efforts of Philippine Foreign Service Posts (FSPs), DFA Regional Consular Offices (RCO’s ), partner agencies as well as other important overseas voting stakeholders.

TFC in close coordination with the DFA and COMELEC produced a Public Service Announcement (PSA) featuring COMELEC Chairman Sixto S. Brillantes Jr. and DFA-OAVS Chairman Undersecretary Jose S. Brillantes with stars Piolo Pascual, Sam Milby, Eric Santos, Randy Santiago, Boy Abunda and Pokwang which is aired on TFC via cable, satellite, video-on-demand, online and other mediums in the United States (US), Japan, Canada, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, Europe, Australia and Hong Kong.

TFC also produced standees, poster, flyers with their slogan of ”Boto nyo … kinabukasan ng bawat Pilipno” which also coincided and supported the DFA’s and COMELEC’s information campaign which further highlighted their tripartite partnership. The said printed materials were utilized in various TFC events and road-shows like OKGo! Sa California’s Great America, OK Go! Sa Nice, France, TFCKat Auditions in Gifu, Japan and ASAP in Singapore were either overseas voting registration or promotion took place.

Last February the plans of the group were put into works with the production of a Public Service Announcement (PSA) for overseas voting featuring teen stars Kim Chiu and Robie Domingo.

This March, another PSA encouraging overseas Filipinos to participate in the upcoming electoral exercise featuring ABS-CBN’s News and Current Affairs team will be developed and conceptualized. Flyers, posters and standees will also be produced by TFC in close coordination with the DFA and COMELEC for the same purpose. The same strategy will be utilized, this time with more frequency, to attain the goal of further increasing voter participation this coming national elections. END