Business as usual at Philippine Consulate

  It’s business as usual for the Philippine Consulate General on Saipan even after an announcement that it will close down and transfer its responsibilities to the Consulate in Guam this year.

Consul General Medardo Macaraig on Thursday held a news briefing confirming information that the Department of Foreign Affairs is consolidating its foreign service posts in the Pacific because of budgetary constraints.

“The exact date of the transfer of responsibilities shall be announced later,” added Macaraig.

Macaraig said the Philippine Consulate General on Saipan will continue to be on island for the Philippine Independence Day celebration in June and the Ambassadors, Consuls General, Tourism Directors Tour of the Philippines in July.

He said in a phone interview that their operations were normal and smooth sailing yesterday. He admitted, though, that they received a number of phone calls and walk-in inquiries as to when exactly they will close down or what will happen after they do.

The Philippine Consulate General, which currently has some 12 staffers, began its services to the Filipino community on island on April 3, 1989, with then Consul Julius D. Torres.

Among the services it provides are passport renewals, issuance of consular IDs and overseas employment certificates, and the ongoing absentee voters registration for next year’s election.

Moreover, the Philippine Consulate General will cease offering free livelihood training courses through the Philippine Overseas Labor Office and will no longer be able to sign up or renew memberships with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

Macaraig said the number of clients yesterday was manageable, with only one of their three e-Passport machines was used.

He said many clients complained about the difficulty of having the Philippine Consulate in Guam assuming jurisdiction over the CNMI, most notably the challenge of traveling to the Commonwealth’s neighboring island.

Macaraig urged Filipinos in the CNMI to transact business with the Philippine Consulate General on Saipan at the earliest possible time to avoid inconveniences.

“Whatever the Consulate can do for you, do it right now before we transfer our responsibilities to our counterparts in Guam,” he added.

Macaraig said they will hold mobile consular services at tomorrow’s Pusong Pinoy, a whole-day event hosted by the United Filipino Organization at the Civic Center grounds in Susupe.

“The UFO always accommodates the Consulate and this time, they are gracious enough to allow us to have a booth so we can provide consular services to Filipinos attending the event,” he told Saipan Tribune.

Macaraig added that while they expect to shut down services to the Filipino community sometime in July or August, they will have to request to remain for longer than that to wrap up their administrative functions and prepare reports.