BUSAN, South Korea — A total of 600,000 overseas Filipinos have been "deactivated" from the voters’ list for next year’s midterm elections, according to Commission on Elections Chairman George Erwin Garcia.

That leaves around 1 million registered overseas Filipino worker voters, which, Garcia said is too low against the number of OFWs around the world.

The Comelec is now targeting to increase the number of registered OFW voters by introducing internet voting in next year’s elections.

"Nalulungkot ako sapagkat nung nakaraang eleksyon nung 2022… Dito rin tayo sa Korea... ang registered voter po dito sa Korea ay 4,517... Unfortunately, ang nakaboto ay 2,900 lang," Garcia said.

(I am saddened because in the 2022 elections — In Korea, there are 4,517 registered voters, but only 2,900 actually voted.)

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He said that there are 82 foreign service posts around the world, and around 1.697 million registered voters.

"Maniniwala ba kayo na ang Filipinos abroad ay 1.967 million lang? Eh ang hinala natin nasa 12 million yan sa buong mundo," Garcia said.

(Do you believe that there are only 1.967 million Filipinos abroad? Our estimate is around 12 million.)

On Saturday, Garcia and Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega led the opening of the "Online Voting and Counting System Training and Internet Voting Information Drive for Training for Filipino Community Leaders", where they asked them to encourage their members to either register as new voters or apply for the reactivation of their voting status.

Under the internet voting program, OFWs can vote using their own mobile phone or any other gadget and not have to go to the nearest embassy or consulate.

Although voting by mail is allowed at some foreign posts, Garcia said 90 percent of the ballots mailed out were not  sent back.

According to Ambassador Dizon-De Vega, they are now actively conducting field registration and mobile registration for OFWs.

South Korea is home to more than 60,000 OFWs, majority of whom are still Filipino citizens.

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The main challenge in encouraging OFWs to register and participate is education, the ambassador said.

"Ang challenge po hindi lang dito sa Korea kundi sa ibang bansa ay una po, to educate — yung voter education para sa registration po at para sa mismong pagboto kailangan pong paigtingin natin," she said.

(The challenge here in Korea is how to strengthen voter education and to get people to vote)

Dizon-De Vega explained that for many Filipinos working abroad, their livelihoods are the priority.

More than 50 Filipino community leaders attended the training held in Busan, South Korea.

Among them, Massuline Antonio Ligaya, head of the Seosan Migrants Community in Busan, expressed his support for the introduction of internet voting, noting, however, that "we should be wary of the hackers." 

Like Ligaya, Feliciana De Castro of Bucheon Filipino Migrant Community, also regularly votes, even if it means an hours-long bus ride to reach the Philippine Embassy.

For De Castro, voting via the internet poses a threat to the sanctity of their ballots.

"Kung sa atin nati-threaten ang mga teachers, how much more yung mga hindi natin nakikitang kalaban?... sa akin pong pananaw sa panahon ngayon maaring pong hindi pa handa ang lahat dahil... parang hindi pa handa kung saan patutunguhan dito sa Pilipinas," she said.

(If our teachers are being threatened during elections, how much more is the impact of an unseen enemy? For me, we are not yet ready for this.)

Her apprehension will only be removed if the votes cast will be first counted and reported in South Korea before the results are sent to the Philippines, De Castro said.