19 March 2015 - The office of the Philippine Consul General in Auckland transferred to its new premises at The Theatre Royal, 486 New North Road, Kingsland, Auckland Central on March 04.
Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand Virginia H. Benavidez and Philippine Honorary Consul General Paulo Garcia led the ribbon-cutting ceremony to formally open the new office in a heritage building situated in an accessible part of Auckland. On this significant occasion, Member of Parliament and Parliamentary Private Secretary for Ethnic Affairs Melissa Lee, officials from the New Zealand government, police authorities, members of the consular corps, lawyers, bankers, academicians, businessmen, Filipinos and friends from the wider community were present.
In her remarks, Ambassador Benavidez thanked the esteemed guests for their presence and welcomed them to the new office. She noted that the dignified atmosphere showcases the solid foundation of Philippines-New Zealand relations and the sense of history of consular representation. She highlighted the importance of consular offices headed by honorary consular officers and their age-old functions, roles and responsibilities and commended Honorary Consul General Garcia who possess the credentials, commitment, community involvement, cooperation and collaboration to handle consular, commercial, cultural and representational functions of consular officers.
“The presence of guests representing various New Zealand agencies, the consular corps, businesses, professions and the wider community as well as the Filipinos from different professions and employment speak volumes of the Consulate’s effectiveness in stepping up Philippine representation, promoting Philippine interests in various fields, deepening collaboration and cooperation with New Zealand and other countries and serving the consular needs and handling assistance to nationals cases of Filipinos in Auckland and the Upper North Island,” Ambassador Benavidez stated. She congratulated Consul General Garcia, his wife, Malu Garcia and the volunteers who continue to demonstrate work ethic, service orientation and attributes of honesty, integrity and hard work in serving the Philippines and the Filipino people. It is also heartening to know that the volunteers are able to find employment after they gain experience and exposure during their stint at the office of the Philippine Honorary Consul General.
The new center hosted the activities of the Philippine Embassy mobile consular team from March 05 to 10. END