19 March 2015 – Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand Virginia H. Benavidez led the Philippine Embassy mobile consular team composed of Philippine Minister and Consul General Arlene Gonzales-Macaisa, Ms. Ma. Victoria Reyes, Mr. Edgar Matibag, Ms. Mary Bel Garcia and Ms. Monette Garcia in conducting mobile consular services for the benefit of Filipinos in Auckland and the surrounding areas of the North Island in New Zealand from March 05 to 10.
Called “The Philippine Embassy in New Zealand: Serving with a Smile, Going the Extra Mile and Reaching Beyond Our Grasp” mobile consular services, 1,662 Filipinos from Auckland, Tauranga, Bay of Islands, Rotorua, Christchurch and adjacent areas in the North Island availed themselves of e-Passports processing, notarial documentation, reports of birth and marriage, dual citizenship, NBI forms and overseas voters registration services.
This is the 40th mobile consular mission conducted by the Philippine Embassy since October 2011. To date, a total of 15,753 Filipinos constituting 38.30% of the 41,129 members of the Filipino community have benefited from this first-ever mobile consular service throughout the North and South Islands of New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and Cook Islands.
The Filipino community members in Auckland and other parts of the North Island reiterated their deep gratitude to the Philippine Government through the Philippine Embassy for rendering the much needed and sought after consular services right where they are residing and working. The first passport applicant was from Auckland, Ms. Anna Maria A. Zulueta, who conveyed her appreciation for the outreach consular services extended by the Philippine Embassy by commenting that the team provided “very good service”.
The Philippine Embassy has always shared with the Filipino community the Philippine Government’s priority and concern for their welfare and well-being as the third major pillar of Philippine foreign policy. “In recognition of the vital roles and crucial contributions of the global Filipinos to nation-building in the Philippines and New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and Cook Islands, the Philippine Embassy will continue to reach out to them through our mobile consular services and dialogue, demonstrate its caring and sharing spirit and bring the Embassy’s services closer to more than 41,000 Filipinos in these countries,” Ambassador Benavidez stated.
Ambassador Benavidez thanked Philippine Honorary Consul General Paulo Garcia and Honorary Vice-Consul Virginia Russell for ensuring a smooth and successful mobile consular service at the Philippine Consulate General and to Ms. Malou Garcia, Atty. Gene Bagsic, Mr. Luigi Bercades, Ms. Claire Ramos, Ms. Mel Bragas, Mr. Gel Lim, Ms. Lolynyl Escoto, Ms. Cherry Fernandez, Ms. Daday Norman, Ms. Gloria Mandingoado and Mr. Sonny Lahaylahay for their vital support and exemplary cooperation extended to the Philippine Embassy mobile consular team. “Together with the sacrificial service and tireless efforts of the Philippine Embassy mobile consular team, Honorary Consul General Paulo Garcia and his team immensely contributed to a productive consular outreach mission in Auckland,” Ambassador Benavidez stated. The Embassy’s mobile consular team will be going next to Christchurch to serve the Filipinos in the South Island on April 09 to 13. Details on this next consular mission have been uploaded at the Philippine Embassy website www.philembassy.org.nz and Facebook at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..END