Around 550,000 overseas voters had cast their votes for the 2022 national elections during the month-long absentee voting in various parts of the world, a foreign affairs official said Wednesday, May 11.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Overseas Voting Secretariat (OVS) Vice Chair Zoilo Velasco said overseas absentee voting (OAV) turnout has reached 32 to 33 percent of the almost 1.7-million overseas Filipino voters.

This, he said, is not yet the final figure as canvassing in several foreign posts is ongoing.

The around 33 percent voter turnout for the 2022 national elections has already surpassed the overseas voter turnout in 2016, which was at 31.45 percent, he added.

"It's a success kasi nalagpasan natin yung record ng 2016 elections. Noong kasi 2016, 31.45 percent yung ating voter turnout, so talagang excited na bumoto yung mga tao noong 2016, ngayon masasabi natin na mas naging excited silang bumoto kasi base lamang sa report na natanggap natin (It's a success because we were able to surpass the record in 2016 elections. In 2016, the voter turnout was at 31.45 percent, it shows that if in 2016, people were excited to vote, we can say that the people are more now excited based on the report that we have received)," Velasco said.

"So, talagang napakaganda at successful yung ating overseas voting despite na alam naman natin na may pandemic na naglimita ng movement ng mga tao (So, overseas voting was really successful despite the pandemic that restricted the movement of the people)," Velasco added.

The data, Velasco further said, is based on the number of overseas Filipinos going to the embassies and consulate to vote and those posting their ballots through mail.

The official said they are expecting to complete the canvassing in all foreign service posts within the week.

Velasco also said that most of the voter turnout was recorded in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Kuwait, San Francisco, Tokyo, Doha, and Jeddah.

Overseas absentee voting was conducted from April 10 to May 9.