21 September 2015 - A team led by Philippine Consul General to Chicago Generoso D.G. Calonge of the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago conducted a consular outreach mission to Southfield, Michigan on September 12.
The team, composed of Deputy Consul General Romulo Victor Israel Jr. and six staff members, was able to perform a total of 324 units of consular services and processed 111 applications for overseas voting registration.
Among the applicants, Mr. Carliloso Torrefiel Aῆasco, a native of Getafe, Bohol and currently residing in Dearborn, Michigan, took advantage of the consular outreach to re-acquire Philippine citizenship before celebrating his 100th birthday next year.
Based on the 2010 U.S. census, Michigan has the second highest Fil-Am population with 32,324 within the sixteen-state jurisdiction of the Consulate General.
Pursuant to the working agreements the Consulate has with the U.S. Department of Labor - Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, officials of said federal agencies took part in the opening program and mini forum at the start of the mobile consular service.
Mr. Robert Mravec of OSHA highlighted the procedure for filing a complaint on work-related safety and health issues. Ms. Lolita Davis of EEOC touched on the various forms of discrimination during hiring and employment and how individuals concerned, regardless of immigration status, can seek redress under the law. They also accommodated consultations after the forum and distributed handouts to the applicants.
Dr. Jose Evangelista, Philippine Honorary Consul General in Livonia, MI, and his wife, Dr. Stella Evangelista were also on hand to support the outreach service. Mr. Ryan Rosario, member of the Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to advance the full and equal participation of Asian Americans in Michigan set up a table to survey consular applicants on how the State of Michigan can best respond to their needs. END