The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the country’s primary agency responsible for promoting Philippine foreign policy and protecting the rights and welfare of Filipinos abroad, is set to establish a new consular office in Bohol, 1st District Rep. Atty. Edgar Migriño Chatto has announced.
This move is expected to bring DFA services closer to the province’s residents and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), making it easier for them to access essential services.
DFA plays a crucial role in the Philippines, providing a range of services including passport issuance, authentication of documents, and assistance to Filipinos in distress abroad.
With the establishment of a consular office in Bohol, residents of the province will no longer have to travel to other provinces to access these services, saving them time, money, and effort, Chatto said.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has given the green light for the establishment of the DFA consular office in Bohol, a move expected to benefit the province’s residents and OFWs, Chatto reported.
According to the Boholano lawmaker, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin informed him of the president’s approval during a meeting at the Executive House in Malacañang.
The consular office will be located at the Alturas Mall in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.
The office is expected to receive funding allocation from the 2024 national budget, which will be released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
A DFA team is set to visit Bohol soon to inspect the progress of preparations for the office space, which must meet the DFA’s standard requirements.
The development follows an initial inspection by DFA Consular Affairs Chief Assistant Secretary Adel Cruz in May and a visit by the Alturas Group to the DFA Central Office to observe consular office processes.
Chatto expressed gratitude to Bersamin for his support, citing his role in pushing for the Hall of Justice Project in Bohol during his tenure as Chief Justice.
The DFA consular office is expected to provide passporting services initially and will add more services in the future. The office’s location in a mall is intended to make it more convenient for clients, similar to consular offices in other areas in the Visayas, such as Cebu and Dumaguete.
The creation of the DFA office is a result of Chatto’s efforts to address the need for Boholanos to travel to other provinces to apply or renew passports, reports said.
The office will also complement an existing Overseas Workers Welfare Administration office, making it easier for Boholano OFWs to access services.
Bohol has been a significant source of OFWs, who contribute substantially to the local economy.
UPDATE
The DFA team, led by Office of Planning and Coordination Director Conrado Dedem Jr., inspected the office venue on Aug. 8, 2024, and aims to open the consular office within the year