18 February 2015 - The Philippine Consulate General in Sydney conducted a consular outreach mission to Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, from February 14 to 15. The consular team comprised Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) Officer Erlinda B. Albay (Team Leader), Voters Registration Machine (VRM) Operator Regina Queenie S.J. Perol, Passport Officer Russell Villegas, Collecting Officer Joeban Sayong and Consular Assistant Jessie B. Llaneta. Labor Attaché Rodolfo Sabulao and Ms. Lorna Bacolong of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Canberra(POLO-Canberra) joined the team to ascertain the welfare of Filipino workers in Wagga Wagga.

The team processed applications for passport renewals, reports of births and marriages, notarials, and NBI clearance, and conducted overseas voters registration. The team members also responded to queries on consular services, dual citizenship and overseas voting.

Labor Attaché Sabulao was consulted by Filipino workers employed by Teys Australia Wagga Wagga, a meat processing company, regarding employment-related concerns. Ms. Bacolong processed applications for Overseas Employment Certificates (OEC) as well as renewal of OWWA memberships.

Over a hundred clients were served by the consular and POLO teams during the mission.

The consular mission was made possible with the assistance of Ms. Marina O'Donnell, a Filipino community leader in Wagga Wagga, who made the arrangements for the venue and disseminated information on the mission. She was assisted by Messrs. Jelbert Recta and Froilan Castillo of Teys Australia Wagga Wagga. They also facilitated the submission, in advance, to the Consulate General, of the required documents for passport applications, thereby enabling the efficient delivery of consular services by the team.

Ms. Albay extended the Consulate General’s appreciation to Ms. O’Donnell for collaborating with the Consulate General in responding to the need for consular services of the Filipino community in Wagga Wagga. END