PH Consulate General in NY Hosts 4th Warden System GA
Deputy Consul General Tate, Acting Head of Post, welcomes the Warden GA participants. (NY PCG Photo)
NEW YORK 25 May 2018 – The Philippine Consulate General in New York held the 4th Geographic Warden System General Assembly at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center in New York on 05 May. In attendance were more than 35 wardens and FilCom leaders from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine as well as officers of the Filipino American Legal Defense and Education Fund, who have been very actively involved in assisting the Consulate on various cases as well as community education events.
Three resource persons discussed various issues during the event. A representative of the NYC Mayor Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) spoke on programs of the Office on the rules and developments on immigration particularly in the light of NYC’s status as a “sanctuary city.” Post is currently working with MOIA on the latter’s IDNYC program to reach out to undocumented Filipinos in New York City. An IDNYC outreach will be hosted by this Post tentatively scheduled in June.
Atty. Arvin Amatorio, Council President of Bergenfield, New Jersey, Warden and an active FilCom leader discussed issues affecting immigrants’ rights. He particularly delved and expounded on trafficking cases, in relation to the U-visas and T-Visa that may be availed of by victims of domestic violence and trafficking, respectively.
A representative of NYC Emergency Management focused his presentation on emergency preparedness, both for man-made and natural calamities. He also touched on severe weather emergencies and how one can be best prepared for all types of emergencies. He also encouraged the wardens to help prepare and respond to emergencies by joining the community emergency response teams in their areas of jurisdictions.
On the part of the Consulate, Deputy Consul General Kerwin Orville C. Tate, Acting Head of the Philippine Consulate General, he apprised the participants of the programs and activities of the Consulate’s Assistance to Nationals and the developments regarding the Philippine government’s policy on the delivery of assistance to nationals particularly on the use of ATN/LAF funds. He also reiterated to the wardens the importance of their role as leaders of the Filipino community in their areas of jurisdictions and on how they are counted on to quickly and effectively extend necessary assistance to Filipinos in need.
The warden system was first launched in September 2013 as a Filipino assistance network dealing with man-made and natural calamities as well as Assistance to Nationals cases in the 10 US northeastern states under the Consulate’s jurisdiction.
Atty. Arvin Amatorio, Council President of Bergenfield, NJ, discusses issues affecting immigrants’ rights. (NY PCG Photo)
Mr. David Sosa of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs makes his presentation on NYC’s programs on immigration. Mr. Kevin Leung of NYC Emergency Management focuses his presentation on Emergency Preparedness. (NY PCG Photo)
For more information, visit www.newyorkpcg.dfa.gov.ph / www.newyorkpcg.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinNY/.