As the Philippine Embassy continues its mobile consular services for the fourth year for Filipinos in New Zealand, Ambassador Virginia H. Benavidez led the Philippine Embassy Mobile Consular Team composed of Vice Consul Glenn Joseph Q. Obach, Ms. Ma. Victoria Reyes, Ms. Monette Garcia and Ms. Mary Bel Garcia in conducting the tenth series of mobile consular services in 2014 for the benefit of Filipinos in Ashburton and the surrounding areas of the South Island in New Zealand on 12-15 December 2014. Called “The Philippine Embassy in New Zealand: Serving with a Smile, Going the Extra Mile and Reaching Beyond Our Grasp” mobile consular services, 429 Filipinos from Ashburton, Rakaia, Christchurch, Rangiora, Culverden, Dunedin, Ranfurly, Oamaru, Waimate, Timaru, Temuka, Geraldine, Balclutha, Gore, Clinton, Winton, Lumsden, Wyndham, Invercargill, Queenstown, Wanaka and surrounding areas in the South Island availed of e-passports processing, notarial documentation, reports of birth and marriage, dual citizenship and overseas voting registration services. This is the 37th mobile consular mission conducted by the Philippine Embassy since October 2011. To date, a total of 13,185 Filipinos comprising 32.06% 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 Ashburton and other parts of the South 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, Mr. Carl Andrei Matalote, a student from Wanaka, Otago conveyed his appreciation to the Philippine Embassy for the services and the “very accommodating staff.” 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. “Very good, maaasahan (dependable), helpful and accommodating,” 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.

Details of succeeding consular missions are uploaded at the Philippine Embassy website www.philembassy.org.nz and Facebook at www.facebook.com/PhlippineEmbassyWellingtonNewZealand