05 March 2014- A team composed of Minister and Consul General Robert O. Ferrer Jr.; Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) Assistant and Attaché Ceferino Angel L. Caldez Jr.; Consular Assistant and Attaché Jose D. Aguilera. Jr.; and Consular Assistant and Attaché Renie G. Santa Agata of the Embassy of the Philippines in Ankara, Turkey, conducted a consular outreach to Istanbul last February 23, the first for 2014.

The team was able to process 71 e-Passport applications and 17 acknowledgments of documents. Consul General Ferrer interviewed 7 prospective employers from Istanbul who intended to hire Filipino nationals as household workers.

Some 45 overseas Filipino workers raised their concerns to Consul General Ferrer during the ATN consultations conducted on the same occasion.

Ms. Carmen Martin, President of the Filipino Community Organization in Istanbul expressed their appreciation to the Embassy for its continuing effort to bring consular services directly to the members of the community and their Turkish spouses and employers.

Considering that the bulk of Filipino workers, numbering about 5,000, are in Istanbul, the Embassy intends to conduct Consular outreach in Istanbul every quarter, every year. END