04 July 2014 - The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto successfully conducted its mobile consular outreach mission and overseas voters registration in  the province of Saskatchewan from June 20 to 23 at the Holy Child Parish and Sandman Hotel.  The Philippine Association of  Saskatchewan and Reverend Danilo Rafael,   Parish Priest of the Holy Child Parish, provided logistical support to the mission.

The four-day outreach mission rendered consular services and conducted overseas voter registration  to Filipinos living and working in Regina and nearby cities such as Yorkton. A total of 1,481 people applied for passport renewal.  Of this number,  927  registered as new overseas voters for the 2016 national elections, more than 61% from the total of those who applied for  their new passports, and an increase of  38.5% in overseas voter registrants from  640 overseas voter registrants in 2012. The oldest overseas voters registrant during this outreach is 83-year old Mrs. Fe Balderian Abano who was born on 13 June 1931 and a resident of Saskatoon. Other overseas voter transactions included 21 transfers of registration, 155 reactivated voters, 77  changes of  address  and 9 wrong entries corrected.

The outreach team headed by Consul Shirley E. Banquicio, was composed of  Ms. Janet L. Hizon, Ms. Rosalie A. Cariaso, Mr. Reynaldo P. Ladrica, Mr. Augusto S. Gonzales, Ms. Ma. Cristina P. Sablon,  Ms. Fatima Rhaisieta Muallam (for overseas voters registration) and Mr. Oliver H, Baranda. A total of 1,775 consular services were provided such as passport renewals, NBI fingerprint-capturing, notarial services, and  reacquisitions of Philippine citizenship.

Relatedly, the consular outreach was featured in an online edition of a news article entitled “Filipinos Flock to Regina for Passport Renewals” posted  by local media CBC Saskatchewan News  at http://www.cbc.ca/1.2684280 on June 23. END