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PH EMBASSY MEETS WITH THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY AT FIRST TOWNHALL MEETING OF 2025
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PRESS RELEASE | PR-013-2025

(27 January 2025, Singapore) The Philippine Embassy in Singapore held its first town hall meeting for 2025 on Sunday, 26 January 2025 The quarterly gathering, “Ugnayan: Bagong Pilipinas Town Hall Meeting”, serves as a platform for Embassy officials to share updates and initiatives of their respective offices. It is also an opportunity for leaders and representatives of the Filipino Community (FilCom) to raise questions about the services, programs and projects of the Embassy and its partner agencies, as well as to discuss issues relevant to the community.

 

In his welcome address, Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Medardo G. Macaraig shared the major activities of the Embassy for 2025, with particular focus on preparations for the upcoming Philippine overseas voting from 13 April to 12 May 2025. For the first time in Philippine electoral history, Filipino overseas voters – including the over 67,000 registered in Singapore – will use an online voting and counting system (OVCS) to cast their ballots. Ambassador Macaraig added that details on the online voting will be shared with the community as soon as these are circulated by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). 

 

Ambassador Macaraig also announced the Embassy’s return to 20 Nassim Road, with the completion of its new Chancery building expected sometime in the third quarter of this year. He assured the public that measures will be in place to minimize disruptions to consular and labor services during the transition period.

 

The Ugnayan incidentally came on the heels of the 25 January 2025 mock polls for the National and Local Elections (NLE), with  Singapore as the sole venue identified by COMELEC to simulate the first-ever online overseas voting, in preparation for the actual voting. The mock elections in Singapore  were conducted simultaneously with the testing of the new automated election system (AES) in 30 barangays across the Philippines. 

 

Head of Consular Section, Vice Consul Renee Gayle M. Chua, expressed the Embassy’s and COMELEC’s heartfelt gratitude to the Filipino community members who volunteered to be part of the mock elections. She also reported that the simulated online overseas voting exercise was largely successful, and that feedback about the OVCS had been conveyed to the COMELEC for its review and possible improvements. 

 

The representatives from the Embassy’s partner agencies then updated the audience on labor, welfare, SSS, and Pag-IBIG matters. Labor Attaché Haney Lynn G. Siclot took the opportunity to remind OFWs in Singapore to abide by the restrictions of their work passes, in particular the prohibition against engaging in supplementary income-generating activities or working for employers not listed on their work passes. According to Labor Attaché Siclot, foreign workers who are found guilty of these violations face substantial fines, prison terms, deportation and a five-year ban from re-entering Singapore.

 

In closing, Ambassador Macaraig appealed to kababayans, especially those employed in the technical industry, to contribute to improving the OVCS by sharing their observations and recommendations. He also reminded the audience to await future announcements on overseas voting, which will be shared through a Special Ugnayan for Overseas Voting, which will be conducted in the first quarter of this year.  (END).

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