PH poll ballots, voting machines expected to arrive in Canada by April

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Nearly 7,000 Filipinos from Alberta and Saskatchewan have registered for the upcoming 2022 national and local elections in the Philippines.

Consul General to Calgary Zaldy Patron said the actual number of Filipinos who are eligible to vote may be higher because some Filipinos living in Alberta and Saskatchewan are still registered with the consulate in Vancouver.

"Yung konsulado natin ay nagbukas lang noong February 2016. Sila ay naka register pa sa Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver, dahil noong mga panahon na wala pang konsulado dito sa Calgary nagco-consular outreach ang Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver at doon po sila nagpa register, so meron pa rin pong mga botante na taga-Alberta and Saskatchewan pero ang registration nila ay nasa Vancouver so hindi po kami ang magpapadala ng mga balota nila dahil doon po sila nakaregister," Patron explained.

(Our consulate only opened last February 2016. They are still registered with the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver because at that time, the consulate in Calgary was not open yet. The Philippine Consulate in Vancouver conducted an outreach and that's when they registered. That's why there are voters in Alberta and Saskatchewan whose registration is still with Vancouver, and we are not the ones who will mail them their ballots.)

The consulate's office in Calgary expects to receive the voting machines and the official ballots from Comelec by April. The actual counting of the votes will occur at PCG Calgary’s new offices.

"Papadalhan kami ng mga voting machines para ma-count yong mga votes na ipapadala sa atin ng mga registered voters by mail. We expect to receive these ballots for our registered voters sometime in April or March and once we have them, we’re going to mail them to all registered voters," Patron said.

(The voting machines will be sent to us so we can count the votes that will be sent to us by registered voters by mail.)

"Then 30 days before the actual voting in the Philippines, open na po ang ating overseas voting, meaning, pwede ng ipadala ng mga registered voters natin yong accomplished ballots nila sa amin by mail."

(Then 30 days before the actual voting in the Philippines, overseas voting will open, meaning, registered voters can send their accomplished ballots to us by mail.)

Patron explained that the ballots they will mail out will include a return envelope, but registered voters would have to buy their own stamp. Completed ballots can be sent back to the PCG Calgary from April 9 until May 9, the actual date of the elections. Patron reminded voters to send their accomplished ballots to the new location of PCG Calgary.

"We wanted to move to a bigger office because we knew na malaki ang population ng Filipino community in Alberta and Saskatchewan that we are servicing. We wanted it to be more convenient for them to go to the Philippine consulate and transact business with us," Patron notes.

Meanwhile, Patron met recently with Alberta's Labour and Immigration Minister Tyler Shandro to lobby on behalf of Filipino-registered nurses so they can practice their profession in Alberta.

"We’re discussing ways now to make it easier for our Filipino nurses to undergo the credential process. So, we’re entertaining the idea, for example, of delivering in the Philippines some courses na kailangan for the Nursing Bridging Program through an accredited Philippine university. We’re also asking the provincial government kung meron bang mga financial assistance na pwede bang ma extend for those who will take the nursing bridging program."

(So we're entertaining the idea, for example, of delivering in the Philippines some courses needed for the Nursing Bridging Program through an accredited Philippine university. We're also asking the provincial government if they can extend financial assistance to those who will take the Nursing Bridging Program.)

Patron said this is an advocacy not only of the PCG Calgary but by the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa, and the Philippine Consulate General offices in Vancouver and Toronto.