MANILA - The number of absentee voting registrants has breached the 200,000 mark as overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) try to beat Monday’s registration deadline, an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced Saturday.

DFA Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, head of the Overseas Absentee Voting Secretariat (OAVS), attributed the surge to the “remarkable display of patriotism and community spirit” of Filipinos here and abroad.   

"We appreciate the all-out support of Filipino community organizations across the globe, as they come up with new and unique ways to encourage absentee voting registration," Seguis said.

He was grateful to various Filipino groups for encouraging their countrymen to register.

Seguis cited the innovative approach of the Pinoy Expats Auto Club in Emirates (PEACE) and Filipino Offroad Auto Club (FORAC). Two community groups based in Dubai also volunteered to give free transport service to enable more Filipino nationals to register at the Philippine Consulate General in Al Ghusais, Dubai, he added.

According to the Center for Migrant Advocacy, the two groups have designated pick-up points in Dubai where OFWs can avail of the free transport service.

The Blas F. Ople Policy Center has also embarked on an e-mail and Facebook campaigns to get more OFWs to register on or before August 31.

"This remarkable display of patriotism and community spirit inspires us to work harder at making sure that the absentee voting exercise in 2010 will be a resounding success," he added.

The OAVS estimated that around 600,000 overseas Filipinos would likely participate in next year's polls as overseas absentee voters.

The DFA official, meanwhile, said OFWs who voted in 2004 but failed to participate in the 2007 elections do not have to register again for 2010. Those who voted in 2007 elections also do not have to register anew for next year's polls.

Those who have missed two consecutive elections after registering earlier than 2004 have already been delisted by the Commission on Elections and must therefore register anew, according to the undersecretary.  

He said those who have never registered must beat the August 31 deadline so that they can exercise their right to vote next year.

The PEACE and FORAC hotlines are 050-3516729, 050-7456452. The DFA announced that all embassies and consulates will be accepting absentee voting registrants throughout the weekend until Monday.