A team from the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles will be conducting a Consular Outreach Program on 5 September 2009.

The following Consular services will be rendered:

1. Applications for Machine Readable Passport (Cost: $50) and returned to the applicant by mail at an additional cost of $6.

2. Applications for the retention and re-acquisition of Philippine citizenship pursuant to Republic Act 9225 or Dual Citizenship Law (Cost: $50). Oath-taking will be scheduled on the same day for qualified applicants.

3. Notarization of documents (Cost: $25) will be accepted but this will be processed in Los Angeles and returned to the applicant by mail at an additional cost of $6.

The Consulate will only accept payments in cash, postal money order or cashier’s check. Personal checks will not be accepted.

Application forms and requirements can be downloaded from the Consulate’s website at www.philippineconsulatela.org.

Photographers will be available at the venue to take the required passport photos with royal blue background for Machine Readable Passport and Dual Citizenship applicants.

In view of the anticipated high volume of applicants and in order to ensure an orderly flow of operations, this Consular outreach shall be guided by the following:

1. All Applicants for any of the above consular services are requested to set up an appointment with the Consulate, not later than 3 September 2009, through fax (213) 639-0990.

2. Passport Applicants should send an advance copy of their passport application forms and data page (bearing the name and photo) of their passports to the Consulate either by fax or by email. Incomplete forms will not be processed.

3. Dual Citizenship Applicants should send an advance copy of their application forms and supporting documents. Incomplete forms will not be processed.

4. Confirmed appointments of all applicants will be posted at the Consulate’s website (www.philippineconsulatela.org) by 3 September 2009. Personal appearance is required for all applicants.

5. While walk-in applicants will also be entertained, priority will be given to those with confirmed appointments with the Consulate, as posted in the website. All walk-in applicants are advised to transact their business directly with Consulate officials and not through travel agencies. Walk-in applicants are by definition those who did not pass through travel agencies.

For general information, interested parties may wish to call Vice Consul Ruel U. Gunabe at Tel: 1-213-637-3020 of the Consulate.

For the information of the public, the Philippine Embassy and Consulates General in the U.S. started to accept and to process applications for Machine Readable Passports (MRP) on June 2, 2008. This is in compliance with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for its member states, including the Philippines, to issue MRPs not later than 1 April 2010.

Since applications received by the Philippine Foreign Service Posts in the U.S. will be sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila via diplomatic pouch, it will take six weeks for a passport to be released to the applicants, from the time the application is accepted. Personal appearance for all will be required for data verification, finger-printing and signature capture. Applications by mail will no longer be accepted.

In compliance with the new photo requirements for the MRP, applicants are requested to visit the Consulate’s website.

While some countries may still honor valid green Philippine passports beyond 1 April 2010 as bona fide travel documents until they expire, most countries will require travelers to hold either MRP or e-Passport for their sojourn by 2010.

Thus, all Filipinos, including those with valid green passports, are therefore encouraged to apply for their machine readable passports as early as possible.

9/5/2009 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM 

Holiday Inn (Coronado Room)
700 National City Blvd.
National City, CA 91950
Telephone: (877) 863-4780