17 December 2015 – More than 200 Filipinos traveled to Essen to avail of consular services during the Philippine Embassy’s tenth and final consular outreach in 2015 last November 14.  A team composed of Consul Rona Beth G. Goce, Mr. Jovencio P. Catbagan, Ms. Maria Cecilia G. Estrella, Ms. Nelma Jose-Casas and Mr. Melchor D. Francisco met with members of the Filipino community from all over North Rhine-Westphalia and processed 132 passport renewals and 74 consular-related documents.

Interested applicants were also able to consult Ms. Wilma M. Ortiz and Mr. Lester Paul S. Mata of the Philippine Social Security System (SSS) Milan Representative Office who joined the Embassy team for the consular outreach in Essen.  The SSS officials answered queries and processed SSS membership contributions during the one-day outreach.

Honorary Vice Consul Milagros Wandelt of the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Essen provided full logistical and administrative support during the mission which was held at the multi-purpose hall of the Bank im Bistum in Essen.

Consular activities in different parts of Germany are meant to make consular services more accessible to Filipino nationals who are based in areas far from the Philippine Embassy in Berlin.  Earlier missions have been conducted in Bonn, Cologne, Schifferstadt, Schweinfurt, Bochum, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Munich. A new list of outreach missions for 2016 will be announced soon at the website of the Philippine Embassy in Berlin. END