19 May 2014- The Philippine Consulate General in Agana, Guam conducted a consular outreach mission to the islands of Tinian from May 9 to 10, and Saipan from May 12 to 15, in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

This is the second consular outreach mission to Saipan for 2014, and the fifth visit by a consular team since the Consulate General assumed jurisdiction over the CNMI. Meanwhile, the mission to Tinian island was the second conducted by the Consulate General after having assumed jurisdiction from the Philippine Consulate General in Saipan when the latter closed down in 2012.

Consul Mark Francis C. Hamoy headed the five-member consular team to Tinian and Saipan. Team members included Messrs. Allan Tangayan and Emmanuel N. Garcia for passports, Ms. Annabelle Oviedo-Lavarez for other consular services, and Ms. Emerita G. Marquez as the collecting officer. Mr. Bonifacio Hilongo subsequently joined the team during the Saipan leg of the mission due to the higher number of Filipinos requiring consular services there.

In Saipan, Consul Hamoy also availed of the opportunity to pay a call on CNMI Governor Eloy S. Inos on May 14 to discuss the status of the requested extension of the federalization transition period that is due to end on December 31, 2014. Governor Inos informed Consul Hamoy that he had already referred the extension request to the US Department of Labor and that CNMI is also waiting for the response of federal authorities as the uncertainty on the status of foreign workers in CNMI is already starting to affect the commonwealth’s economy.

The consular team was able to process a total of 572 e-Passport applications for Filipinos on Tinian and Saipan. An additional 351 consular services were also extended to Filipinos in CNMI.

The next consular outreach mission to Saipan is scheduled for August 2014 with at least 480 passport applicants expected to be serviced by the consular team. END