Philippine missions resume consular services

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

Filipinos in the UAE may again secure appointments for consular services which include their electronic passports concerns from the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi (AUHPE) and the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai (PCGDXB).

The two Philippine missions resumed these services on April 26 (Sunday) as of Thursday afternoon, VFS Global in a press release stated that the Philippines e-Passport Renewal Centre in Wafi Mall, Dubai shall be accepting clients Sunday to Saturday from 12 noon to 8pm on an appointment basis through the company website and over [email protected].

In its public advisory posted over its website, AUHPE noted: “Only passport applicants with appointments from 26 April onwards will be allowed to come in person. All others will be accommodated online. This is in line with the 30 (per cent) directive of the UAE government on partial resumption of work.”

Those with passport appointments between March 24 to April 23 may email at [email protected]. Those with passport releasing concerns may write at [email protected].

According to the PCGDXB website, its personnel would be “directly engaging with all passport applicants with prior appointments but were not served due to the suspension of consular services” arising from the pandemic.

Email addresses for concerns regarding civil registration, notarisation and authentication of legal documents, and assistance to nationals are enumerated at the respective Facebook pages and websites of the two Philippine missions.

All clients of these three organisations are requested to strictly observe the established Novel Coronavirus health and safety measures such as but not limited to social distancing, wearing of face masks, and the non-admission of individuals exhibiting the signs and symptoms of the dreaded infectious disease namely fever, dry cough, and difficulty in breathing.

Moreover, VFS Global management said that as per Dubai Government restrictions on malls, children between three and 12 years and the senior citizens from age 60 would be prohibited to enter its centre. The Philippine e-Passport Renewal Centre was inaugurated by Manila’s Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Nov. 21, 2019.

It is a pilot project of the Philippines’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA-Manila) the one-year fruition of which was overseen by Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Concerns Brigido Dulay.