MANILA – Two government agencies signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on the conduct of the automated election system in Hong Kong and Singapore for the 2010 presidential elections.

"The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong and the Philippine Embassy in Singapore were chosen because they are nearest to the Philippines, among other foreign service posts’ that obtained the highest number of registrants. It will be easier and will cost less to send technical people to Hong Kong and Singapore, than to Los Angeles or Dubai," DFA Undersecretary for Special and Ocean Concerns, Rafael Seguis said in a statement.

The MOA was signed by Seguis, also the chairman of the DFA-Overseas Absentee Voting Secretariat, and Commission on Elections Commissioner Armando Velasco, the chairman of the COMELEC Committee in Overseas Absentee Voting.

Under the MOA, the two Philippine government agencies will share the expenses in the conduct of the automated elections in Hong Kong and Singapore where there are a total of 128,272 registered voters combined.

An estimated P40 million will be spent, to be equally funded by the two government agencies.

"We expect speedy, transparent, and accurate count of votes in these posts," Seguis said.

All other embassies and consulates will continue to employ the traditional modes of overseas absentee voting for the 2010 elections, like personal voting and voting by mail.

"We are hoping that the automated elections in Hong Kong and Singapore would be a success, and will be replicated in all foreign service posts in the future," Undersecretary Seguis added.

A total of 606,414 registered overseas absentee voters are expected to participate in the overseas absentee voting which will run from April 10 to May 10, 2010, or a month ahead of the regular elections.