PH Consulate General in Honolulu Marks International Migrants Day

Philippine Consul General to Honolulu Grace Anne G. Bulos (seated, center) and Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu personnel join the Seafarers Ministry, led by Pastor Jerry Saludez, (seated front, third from the right), and volunteers from the Coptic Orthodox Church in Los Angeles in a group photo. (Honolulu PCG photo)

HONOLULU 18 December 2019 –– In conjunction with International Migrants Day, the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu conducted its third goodwill visit to the Filipino fishermen at Pier 17 of the Honolulu Harbor on 17 December 2019, in partnership with the Waipio Community Baptist Church (WCBC) and the Seafarers Ministry led by Pastor Jerry Saludez.

Assistance-To-Nationals (ATN) Unit Head Consul Grace Anne G. Bulos, accompanied by Protocol Officer Joel C. Bulos, Consular Assistant Severino Baliao, and Property Officer Salmineo L. De Castro, led the Consulate General team.

Youth volunteers from the Coptic Orthodox Church based in Los Angeles were also present at the outreach, upon the invitation of the Saint Mark Coptic Orthodox Church and Hawaiian Mission in Honolulu.

In her remarks, Consul Bulos said that the Consulate General’s visit was timely with International Migrants Day on 18 December, as proclaimed by the UN General Assembly on 04 December 2000 in recognition of the large and increasing number of migrants in the world. She thanked the fishermen for the sacrifices endured for their families and the contributions made for the Philippines’ progress and development. She also informed the fishermen that overseas voter registration began on 16 December 2019 and encouraged them to register when the Consulate General conducts its onsite Overseas Voting (OV) registration to be eligible to participate in the 2022 Philippine national elections. 

The Consulate General team joined in the community singing of Christmas carols, and listened to Pastor Saludez’s Bible sharing. While partaking of the dinner generously prepared by the Ministry volunteers, the Consulate General team and Coptic Orthodox Church youth also exchanged stories with the fishermen.   

As a Christmas token, the Consulate General team distributed gift packs of Lucky Me pancit canton and Ligo sardines to the fishermen. END

Philippine Consul General to Honolulu Grace Anne G. Bulos addresses the Filipino fishermen. (Honolulu PCG photo)

Philippine Consul General to Honolulu Grace Anne G. Bulos (right) distributes Christmas tokens to the fishermen. (Honolulu PCG photo)

The Filipino fishermen line up for the Philippine Consulate General’s Pamaskong Handog. (Honolulu PCG photo)

For more information, visit https://www.philippineconsulatela.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinLA/.