PH Embassy Ends 2024 Brightly with Final Outreach In The Sunshine State

The Philippine Embassy in Washington DC capped off its 2024 Consular Outreach Program on a high note, holding its fifth mission in Florida and the eleventh for the year in Gainesville, Florida, on 12-14 December 2024.

Known as the Sunshine State, Florida provided the perfect setting to close the year with warmth and service. The state is home to the largest Filipino population under the Embassy’s jurisdiction, with almost 200,000 Filipinos and Filipino-Americans. The final outreach this year was organized in partnership with the Philippine American Alliance of North America (PAMANA).

Consul Barbie Rosales led the Embassy’s team, providing various consular services, including the processing of 238 passport applications and the reacquisition of Philippine citizenship of 120 individuals.

The outreach team also had the privilege of attending a family Christmas party hosted by the Philippine-American Association of Gainesville and Surrounding Areas (PAGASA). The gathering provided an excellent opportunity to connect with families and share vital information about consular services, particularly related to civil registry. In the spirit of spreading good news this holiday season, Consul Rosales took this occasion to inform attendees that children born in the US to Filipino parents are also Filipino citizens, as long as at least one parent was Filipino at the time of the child’s birth. All they needed to do was report the child’s birth by mail to the Philippine Embassy or Consulate.

This information was met with great interest, as it resonated with generations of Filipino families who have long lived in the United States. Many attendees expressed their appreciation as it provided clarity on the rights of their children and grandchildren, ensuring their Filipino citizenship will be registered accordingly.

The Gainesville outreach mission marks the end of a highly productive year, with over 5,000 consular services rendered. The Embassy conducted 11 consular outreach missions from Tennessee all the way to the Caribbean. Throughout the year, the Embassy processed:

• 2,365 passport and travel document applications
• 1,657 overseas voter registrations
• 887 dual citizenship applications
• 240 notarial documents
• ​22 civil registry documents

“We are proud to close 2024 with another consular outreach mission in Florida,” said Ambassador Jose Manuel G. Romualdez. “This reflects our strong commitment to ensuring that all Filipinos, regardless of their circumstances, can access our services and get the support they need.”

The Embassy would like to extend its sincere appreciation to the honorary consuls, Filipino organizations, local community leaders, and volunteers who made these consular outreach missions possible.

As 2024 wraps up, the Embassy is already working on next year’s consular outreach missions. Updates on the full lineup will be announced via the Embassy’s website and social media channels.

For more information on consular services and upcoming outreach missions, please visit the Embassy's website philippineembassy-dc.org or email consular@phembassy-us.org.

Consul Barbie Rosales connects with Filipino families at the PAGASA Christmas party, sharing valuable information about civil registry services, including the Filipino citizenship of children born in the United States to at least one Filipino parent.

Dedicated Embassy consular outreach team process passports during the final consular outreach mission of 2024. Over 230 passports were processed at the three-day consular outreach mission in Gainesville, Florida, held from 12 to 14 December 2024 at the North Central Florida YMCA.

A passport client pays with her credit card at the consular outreach mission in Gainesville, Florida. The introduction of the e-payment system in May 2024 marked a major milestone for the Embassy’s consular outreach program, making transactions smoother and more convenient for Filipinos accessing consular services.