11 September 2014 - Deputy Consul General Imelda Panolong led a team from the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles in conducting a three-day consular outreach program in Houston, Texas from September 05 to 07.
The consular outreach program was undertaken in cooperation with the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Texas (PACC Texas) under the leadership of State President and Philippine Honorary Consul Ethel Mercado, State Vice President Atty. Gary Ilagan and Region Chair Tess Tuazon.
The Consulate team processed 704 e-Passport applications, including applications for replacement of lost passport.
A total of 1,522 consular and voter registration services were rendered during the consular outreach program, the breakdown of which is as follows:
Residents of Houston, surrounding areas, and as far away as Louisiana braved the summer heat and patiently waited to be served. A family of six from Corpus Christi expressed their appreciation to the team for conducting the outreach which saved them more than US$ 2000 in air-fare, plus hotel and two to three days’ off from work, if they had to travel to LA to have their passports renewed.
Deputy Consul General Panolong was accompanied by Misses Melchora Tagle, Mila Verzosa and Tolentino, and Messrs. Cesar Angeles, Mindarat Mahmad and Marvin Samonte.
The consular outreach program is a regular activity of the Consulate General to bring its various services closer to its constituents residing in areas within its jurisdiction. The Houston consular outreach is the 11th mission for 2014. END