PH Embassy in Moscow Conducts Pioneering Mission to Assist Filipinos in Kazakhstan
The Philippine Embassy in Moscow team, led by Vice Consul Catherine F. Alpay (leftmost), together with Attachés Eden Laforteza-Salting (second from left), Rommel Briones (rightmost), and Alex Aurellano (second from right) pose with members of the Filipino Community in Astana, Kazakhstan during the emergency assistance-to-nationals and consular mission. (Moscow PE photo)
MOSCOW 24 August 2018 – The Philippine Embassy in Moscow extended consular and assistance-to-nationals (ATN) services to Filipinos working in Astana and Almaty, Kazakhstan from 11 to 13 August 2018.
The team traveled about 3,000 miles from Moscow to reach the capital, Astana, and a further 1,000 miles to the southern city of Almaty to extend urgent consular services to Filipinos, especially those who have not had the opportunity to avail of said services for many years.
“When we visited Kazakhstan in February for official meetings we promised that we will be back within the year to extend mobile Consular and ATN services,” Ambassador Carlos D. Sorreta said.
“We are thankful for the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs that allowed us to fulfill that promise,” he added.
The emergency ATN and consular mission was held in Aykun Hotel in Astana and in Golden Palace Hotel in Almaty.
The Embassy sent a four-person team led by Vice Consul Catherine Alpay, who served also as the Embassy’s ATN Section representative for the mission. She was accompanied by Attachés Rommel Briones, Alex Aurellano, and Eden Laforteza-Salting.
The team processed a total of 25 passport renewal applications, three notarials, 50 overseas voter registrations, and 58 Embassy ID applications.
It also held consultations with members of the Filipino Community on labor and other concerns with a view to improving the awareness of Filipinos on basic facts regarding the protection of the rights and welfare of workers, legal processes to formalize their status as overseas workers, and other relevant information.
“Maraming salamat po sa pagpapadala ng Philippine Embassy team dito sa Kazakhstan. Madami pong Kababayan ang nakapag-renew ng passport, nakakuha ng Embassy ID at nakapag-rehistro po para makaboto sa darating ne eleksyon,” said Mr. Luis Collado, Jr., a masseuse working in the Central Asian country.
Filipinos with expired or expiring passports are unable to renew their visas, making them vulnerable to arrest and deportation.
This is the first ever Philippine consular outreach mission to Kazakhstan. The Embassy plans to conduct another such mission in Yerevan, Armenia later this year. END
Mr. Briones shows the photo taken of a passport applicant during the data capture process. (Moscow PE photo)
Mr. Aurellano encodes the bio data of an applicant for overseas voters registration. (Moscow PE photo)
Ms. Laforteza-Salting as collections officer receives a client’s payment for passport renewal. (Moscow PE photo)
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