21 November 2010 - Philippine Ambassador to South Africa Mario L. de Leon, Jr. reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that he led an Embassy team to Bloemfontein in the Free State on November 13 and 14 to conduct an outreach mission for Filipinos who lived in that area as well as from the neighboring Lesotho.
The consular team was headed by Third Secretary and Vice Consul Maria Roseny B. Fangco and included Consular Assistant Ronald Maniago, Assistance-to-Nationals Officer Earl Alonzo, Finance Officer Michael Dayrit, and Information Officer Jay Michael Tolentino. Members of the Filipino community welcomed the Ambassador and the consular team with a full program that included singing and dancing organized by the Filipino Association of Free State South Africa (FAFSSA).
The program was held at the function room of the Seventh-Day Adventist House.
It featured the introduction of FAFSSA officers, as well as a short talk by Ambassador de Leon on Embassy services and the new Philippine electronic passport (ePassport).
An open forum followed the program as well as a sumptuous dinner prepared by the Filipino community members.
The following day, the Embassy consular team processed ePassport applications and other consular services.
The team processed 35 ePassport applications and 17 other consular services that included reacquisition of Filipino citizenship, reports of birth and marriage, and notarials. END