As the Philippine Embassy continues its mobile consular services for the fifth year for Filipinos in New Zealand, Ambassador Virginia H. Benavidez led the Philippine Embassy Mobile Consular Team composed of 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 on 5-10 March 2015 at the Philippine Consulate General. 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 of e-passports processing, notarial documentation, reports of birth and marriage, dual citizenship, NBI forms and overseas voting 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 comprising 38.30% of the 41,129 members of the Filipino community have benefitted 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”. Several Filipinos also gave very positive and highly appreciative feedback to the Philippine Embassy for this continuing excellent and timely service which saves them a lot of money, time, days off and resources as it would have been extremely costly, inconvenient and difficult if they had to go all the way to Wellington. “Accommodating and pleasant, very good service, well done, very pleased with the mobile services,” were among the written feedback given by the Filipinos.

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 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 9-13 April 2015. Details on this next consular mission have been uploaded at the Philippine Embassy website www.philembassy.org.nz and Facebook at embassy@wellington-pe.co.nz.