PHL Embassy in Oslo Conducts Overseas Voters’ Registration and Consular Outreach Mission in Longyearbyen, Svalbard

CDA Algabre, and Ms. Cabahug, with Svalbard Vice Governor Berit Sagfossen, and Legal Adviser Hanne Margrethe Ingebrigsten.

05 December 2017 OSLO — The Philippine Embassy in Oslo, in cooperation with the Filipino Community in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway conducted an Overseas Voter (OV) Field Registration and Consular Outreach Mission on November 24-25.

The team included Chargé D´Affaires Maria Elena Algabre, Third Secretary and Vice Consul Christiansen Cabahug, Consular Assistant and Attaché Jo Ann Alonzo, and Collecting Officer and Attaché Asteria Aguilloso.

Svalbard, located north of the Arctic Circle at about 78° above the equator, is the northernmost place with human settlement.  It is home to 54 Filipinos working mostly in the hospitality business. 

The mission was held in the Longyearbyen Community Council (lokalstyre) conference room, which was arranged with the assistance of Mr. Arnt Vegar Jensen, Adviser of the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (Nye Arbeids-og Velferdsetaten, or NAV) in Tromsø and Svalbard.

Prior to the conduct of the mission, the team also called on Svalbard Vice Governor Berit Sagfossen, and Legal Adviser Hanne Margrethe Ingebrigsten. They explained that the 1920 Treaty of Svalbard had provided Norway with absolute and unrestricted sovereignty over Svalbard. Nevertheless, Norway is obliged to give citizens and companies of the signatory countries equal rights in areas such as maritime, industrial, mining, and commercial activities. END

The Philippine Embassy Consular Team at work in Svalbard, Norway.

For more information, visit www.oslope.dfa.gov.ph / www.philembassy.no or https://www.facebook.com/philembassy.no.