AUTHENTICATION
24 September 2013 – Passport applicants in Bacolod City and nearby cities of Silay and Bago, as well as those from neighbouring provinces and islands can look forward to more accessible and convenient consular services as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) transfers its Bacolod Regional Consular Office (RCO) to Robinsons Place Mall Bacolod on September 11.
DFA-Office of Consular Affairs Assistant Secretary Jaime Victor B. Ledda led the inauguration of the new DFA Bacolod office.
“Through the PPP (private-public partnership) policy, the government and the private sector share resources and expertise in the successful implementation of sustainable projects at minimum or no cost to the government. The new DFA Office at Robinson’s Place is one of the best examples of this partnership,” Assistant Secretary Ledda said during the inauguration ceremony.
DFA officials Mr. Alfonso Ver (Executive Director, Office of Personnel and Administrative Services) 
and Mr. Marciano de Borja (Special Assistant, Office of the Undersecretary for Administration) also witnessed the inauguration ceremony.
Negros Occidental local government officials including Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella, Silay City Mayor Jose Montelibano, Bacolod City Vice Mayor Greg Gasataya, Bago City Vice Mayor Nicholas Yulo, Mrs. Marilyn Marañon (representing Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr.) and Bacolod City councilors welcomed the opening of the new office of DFA Bacolod.
Robinsons Land Corporation executives headed by Mr. Joseph Sian (Operations Director for Visayas and Mindanao) and Mr. Irving Wu (Operations Director for Luzon) also attended the event.
The DFA Bacolod office occupies a 180- sq. meter area and can accommodate a maximum of 500 applicants a day. DFA Bacolod is the fifth consular office of the Department hosted by Robinsons Land Corporation. In 2012, DFA consular offices transferred to Robinsons San Fernando (Pampanga), General Santos City, Lipa City and Robinsons Galleria.
In 2012, the DFA transferred to and built 10 new offices in Metro Manila and different regions. This year, DFA opened and transferred consular offices in Alabang, Muntinlupa and Legaspi City, respectively.
DFA Bacolod is open to serve the public from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Mondays to Fridays.
It accepts new passport applications, passport renewal and replacement of lost passports. The office also provides assistance-to-nationals (ATN) services. It is conveniently located on the 3rd level of Robinsons Place Bacolod.
It is headed by Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Joselito Blas.
During their visit to Bacolod City, DFA officials headed by Mr. de Borja and Executive Director Ver also conducted lectures on life in the Philippine Foreign Service to students of West Negros University and University of St. La Salle. END
OFFICE OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS 
