accessible fbr tamilies. The approach it has taken is to pror.note competition arnong banks in tenns of remittance services and products, branches and rerlittance centers. and ol course service rates and fbes. Effbrts have included licensine rural and cr)r)p!'rati\e banks to more broadly handle foreign currencies, prornoting the use ot ceilphone. internet and cash card technologies, interconnecting automated teller netri orks and rrrhL-rs. It is also worthwhile to note that OFWs are exerxptr-d tl'trnr 11.r\lnS ineonre ta.\es, travel tax and airport terminal fees which add up to man) tht'rusantls Lr1'pesr)s in additional income for laurilies. Although there remain other state e\actions thrrt Lrurden or OFWs and prospective OFWs, exemption from these are extreurelr ri elc.',nre L.ecausc' otherwise these exactions would be even worse. Ensuring the right to vote. The Overseas Absentee Vtrting .\ct trt'l{tt)3 (Republic Act 9189) aims to ensure that allqualified Filipino citizens are aL,le to erercise their right to participate in the election of the president, vice-president. senatrrrs :nd party'-list representatives in Congress. Following the law an Overseas.\bsenree \i.ting Secretariat (OAVS) was created to coordinate allelection-related acti\iiies in ol Enrhassies.20 Consulates, one Mission, one Extension Office, three NzlECOs lr.id 1,.r., POLOs - fbr a total of 88 voting posts around the rvorld. Voting can be done: 1 r pr31511lljlll in Philippine embassies, consulates, POLOs, or Manila Economic and C'ultural Otll,'es r\lECOs) r.vith votes cast in ballot boxes; 2) by mailwith voters receiving and retunrinc their electoral mails (akin to ballots) through the postalservice; or 3) by moditled meilrt',re uith voters clairning their electoral rnails personally but returning these b1 p..st:1 serr ice. ::' ;qS i}1 , 1{ ; i, ii i t;l ., Qts:r ==' rHfhfi,&y!i: :rli:i:'r ; ;::. ffi .flr l3A$t rr., 52 ;Y+ r* ki5=