400 turn out in Southfield, Michigan for consular services

PACCM volunteers help Consulate on Wheels serve Filipinos in Southfield. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

CHICAGO — At least 400 Filipinos and Filipino-Americans were served by the “Consulate on Wheels” outreach activity conducted by the Chicago-based Philippine Consulate’s Office on September 13 at the Philippine American Community Center of Michigan (PACCM) in Southfield, Michigan.

PACCM headed by President Becky Tungol every year hosts the Consulate on Wheels to spare Filipinos and Filipino Americans in Michigan the trouble of having to travel to Chicago to seek the services of the Philippine Consulate in that Illinois city.

Tungol created a committee to assist the consulate personnel in doing their tasks of, among others, processing applications for Philippine passports, processing applications for renewal of passports and processing of applications for dual citizenship. The PACCM committee, chaired by Willie Dechavez, was composed of volunteers.

Consulate personnel had to work up to 11 p.m. due to the record number of people who availed themselves of the consular services, reported Tony Kho, PACCM executive director.

It was learned that at 8 p.m., some 100 people were still lining up to be served, and for lack of time, several of those on line were not served.

In an email message sent to Dechavez, Al Rosales of the Philippine consulate listed the following results of the outreach activity:

Passport applications, 217; dual citizenship applications, 64; documentation (special power of attorney/affidavits),30; reports of birth, 7; reports of marriage, 14; authentication of documents, 8; and overseas voting registration, 90.