Townhall Meeting in Chongqing Shines Light on DFA’s Assistance-to-Nationals Mandate
(Top photo) Consul General Flerida Ann Camille P. Mayo delivers her Ulat sa Bayan, highlighting the Consulate General’s outputs to date this year. (Middle photo) Atty. Arnel M. Sanchez of DFA-OUMWA explains the scope of the DFA’s Assistance-to-Nationals services. (Bottom photo) The audience listen intently to the services and benefits extended to distressed Filipinos overseas.
CHONGQING 06 December 2023 – In line with the promotion of the welfare of overseas Filipinos, the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) and the Philippine Consulate General co-hosted today a townhall for the Filipino community in Chongqing to strengthen the feedback loop for the improvement of citizen services.
As part of the Consulate-led community forum, Consul General Flerida Ann Camille P. Mayo delivered her quarterly Ulat sa Bayan, a comprehensive presentation of the latest consular, cultural, and economic diplomacy activities undertaken by her office. She also highlighted the Consulate’s most recent community engagements, including assistance extended to Filipinos in distress.
To ensure that the Filipino community stays abreast of developments in citizen services, Vice Consul Adrian G. Miras announced relevant process and policy updates as well as provided reminders on consular procedures.
The audience, composed mostly of Filipino teachers, listened intently as Atty. Arnel M. Sanchez, Special Assistant of DFA-OUMWA, discussed the DFA’s Assistance to Nationals mandate vis-à-vis the role of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), including benefits currently available to overseas Filipinos from the DFA’s ATN Fund/Legal Assistance Fund and DMW’s Aksyon Fund.
Members of the Filipino community voiced their employment-related concerns in the ensuing open forum even as they took note of specific relief that may be extended to distressed Filipinos overseas by the Philippine Government in various circumstances.
“The OUMWA is our government’s 24/7 frontline office that responds to the call of distressed Filipinos wherever they are in the world, in tandem with the DFA’s 94 Foreign Service Posts. Filipinos in dire situations – whether in war zones, disaster- or epidemic-stricken areas or in prisons – can rely on the Philippine Government to come to their aid as soon as humanly possible,” Consul General Mayo emphasized. END
For more information, visit https://www.chongqingpcg.dfa.gov.ph.