Twenty-five years after it closed, the Philippine consulate general in Houston, Texas will be reopened this month to serve the growing consular needs of the Filipino community in the south central United States, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.
“The reopening is consistent with the priorities laid down by President Duterte for us to bring our services closer to Filipinos overseas. Through our consulate general, we will endeavor to serve all Filipinos living on this side of the United States,” Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement.
The consulate general, which was closed in September 1993, will reopen its doors on September 24.
It is expected to serve some 179,000 Filipinos in the states under its jurisdiction, namely, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
The DFA quoted consul general Jerrill Santos as saying the reopening was also due to the “strong clamor” of the Filipino community there.
The consulate general will offer civil registry services such as Reports of Birth, Marriage and Death, notarial services, affidavits certification, issuance of travel documents, and fingerprinting for National Bureau of Investigation clearances.
Passport processing, visas, authentication services and dual citizenship services would be made available in the coming days, the DFA said.
The consulate general will also provide assistance to distressed Filipino nationals, promote Philippine culture, and strengthen economic ties between the Philippines and the South Central US.
The consulate general is temporarily located at 9990 Richmond Avenue, Suite 270N, Houston, Texas. It will move to Suite 100N at the same building by the end of the year, the DFA noted. /kga