The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday the 2009 Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) registration will “intensify” this month as the August 31 deadline nears.

As of 3 pm of August 4, new OAV registrants surged to 162,356 from 159,000 in July 31, the DFA reported.

“The 2009 OAV registration will intensify in the final month of the on-going exercise as the various Filipino community organizations abroad and their leaders continue their cooperation, assistance and support to all the foreign service establishments and offices,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary and OAV chairman Rafael Seguis said.

He said field (Commission on Elections or Comelec-funded) and mobile (OAV-funded) registrations are scheduled to take place in many sites or venues worldwide during the remainder of the registration period.

The OAV registration started in February of this year and will end on August 31. “So far, the various Philippine foreign service establishments (embassies, consulates and missions) and other offices, including private establishments (such as Manila Economic and Cultural Office or MECO - Taipei, Kaoshiung and Taichung in Taiwan), have conducted field and mobile registration in 188 sites or venues. Such registrations will take place in 71 sites or venues for August,” Seguis said.

The top 10 countries which recorded the most number of new OAV registrants are United States, China, United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, and Italy.

New OAV registrants in Asia and the Pacific account to 45,465 while there are 30,776 new OAV registrants in the Middle East and Africa; there are a total of 29,456 new OAV registrants in the Americas; and 17,958 new OAV registrants in Europe.

Registration centers in the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Commission on Filipinos Overseas, and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration garnered 38,701 new OAV registrants.