PH Embassy in Tokyo Serves Filipino Community Affected by Earthquake in Hokkaido

The Embassy team held a dialogue with the officers of the Samahang Pilipino sa Hokkaido to take stock of the needs of the community following the quake. (Tokyo PE photo)

TOKYO 27 September 2018 — Two weeks after a powerful magnitude 7 earthquake hit the island of Hokkaido in eastern Japan, the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo conducted an outreach to render passport and other consular services to the 1,400-strong Filipino community.

The seven-man team from the Embassy went to Sapporo City, Hokkaido and provided consular services, free of charge, to a total of 176 applicants.

In cooperation with Philippine Honorary Consul Ken Tobe, the Samahang Pilipino sa Hokkaido (SPH), and the Sapporo International Communication Foundation, the team assisted 159 passport applicants, 16 civil registration and notarial applicants, and other consular queries during the one-day outreach.

“It was crucial for the Embassy to be on the ground as soon as possible after the earthquake to check up on our community in Hokkaido,” Ambassador to Japan Jose C. Laurel V said in his report to the Home Office.

“The free consular service goes a very long way in helping our kababayan in the recovery effort after the earthquake,” he said.

The Embassy team also held a dialogue with the officers of the Samahang Pilipino sa Hokkaido to take stock of the needs of the community following the quake. The meeting also allowed the Embassy and the Filipino community to discuss contingency plans to prepare for any future natural disasters.

SPH officers and several members of the Filipino community assured the Embassy team that they were doing well. They also thanked the Embassy for bringing its services to Hokkaido soon after the calamity. The SPH informed the Embassy that several Filipinos who availed themselves of the outreach service were very grateful to the Philippine Government for the free consular service.

The earthquake, which struck Hokkaido in the early morning hours of September 6th, reached the maximum intensity in Japan’s seismic intensity scale and is the most powerful temblor to have affected the island.

Consul General Robespierre Bolivar led the seven-person team, composed of Minister Evangeline Ong Jimenez-Ducrocq and Rolando Salazar, Orlando Manalo, Joseph Tubera, Jahreel Balaoro and Richard Roldan.

In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, the Embassy assisted 46 Filipino tourists who were in Sapporo City at the time. The tourists were able to safely return to the Philippines two days after the quake. END

Consul General Robespierre Bolivar led the seven-man team, composed of Minister Evangeline Ong Jimenez-Ducrocq and Messrs. Rolando Salazar, Orlando Mercado, Joseph Tubera, Jahreel Balaoro and Richard Roldan. (Tokyo PE photo)

The Embassy team assisted 176 applicants during the one-day outreach in Sapporo City, Hokkaido (Tokyo PE photo)