As the Philippine Embassy continues its mobile consular services for the third year for Filipinos in New Zealand, Ambassador Virginia H. Benavidez led the Philippine Embassy Mobile Consular Team composed of Consul General Arlene Gonzales-Macaisa, Ms. Ma. Victoria Reyes, Atty. Levy Strang, Ms. Mary Bel Garcia and Ms. Monette Garcia in conducting the third series of mobile consular services for 2014 for the benefit of Filipinos in Auckland and the surrounding areas of the North Island in New Zealand on 5-11 March 2014. Called “The Philippine Embassy in New Zealand: Serving with a Smile, Going the Extra Mile and Reaching Beyond Our Grasp” mobile consular services, a record breaking number of 1,028 Filipinos from Auckland, Hamilton, Huntly, Whangarei, Frankton in Waikato and surrounding areas in the North Island availed of e-passports processing, notarial documentation and report of births and marriages and dual citizenship services. This is the 30th mobile consular mission conducted by the Philippine Embassy since October 2011. To date, a total of 9,986 Filipinos comprising 24.75% of the 40,350 members of the Filipino community have benefitted from this first ever mobile consular service throughout the North and South Islands of New Zealand.

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. 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. “Excellent service, great effort, kind, helpful, professional and efficient staff, friendly and easy to approach, well done and keep up the good work, you make us all proud to be a Filipino, accommodating and very prompt staff who can answer our queries, awesome and convenient mobile service” 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, 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 about 40,350 Filipinos here,” 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, Mr. Gene Bagsic, Mr. Luigi Bercades, Mr. Eduardo Gamboa, Jr., Mr. Pedro Hernandez and Mr. Jose San Diego 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 Invercargill to serve the Filipinos in the South Island in May 2014. Details on this next consular mission will be uploaded at the Philippine Embassy website www.philembassy.org.nz and Facebook at embassy@wellington-pe.co.nz.