3 February 2010 - The Philippine Embassy in Jakarta held a two-day seminar on the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) Act last January 25 and February 1 for its officers and staff in preparation for the upcoming national election on May 10.

Serving as resource person was Consul Germinia Aguilar-Usudan, former Vice-Chair of the Department of Foreign Affairs Overseas Absentee Voting Secretariat (DFA-OAVS).

The seminar familiarized personnel with relevant provisions of Republic Act 9189, otherwise known as the Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003, and other election-related laws such as Batas Pambansa 881, and Republic Act 9369.

Specifically, the seminar discussed the following topics: (1) the general instructions and information on OAV; (2) the functions, qualifications, and disqualifications of the Special Board of Canvassers (SBOC), Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEI), and Special Ballot Reception and Custody Group (SBRCG); (3) qualified voters and modes of voting at Post; (4) procedures and provisions in counting; and (5) preliminaries to counting.

Overseas absentee voting is an exercise of the right of suffrage by qualified Filipino nationals living or working abroad.

Postal voting will be implemented in Indonesia for the 2010 elections.

There are 1,046 registered voters in Jakarta while there are 120 qualified voters in Manado, North Sulawesi.