Philippine Embassy In Brasilia Conducts Consular Outreach Mission in Suriname

The Philippine Embassy in Brasilia successfully conducted a consular outreach mission in Paramaribo, Suriname from July 4 to 6.

A total of 123 passport applicants and 135 overseas voters from Suriname and nearby Guyana availed of the services provided by the mobile team during the weekend mission. The Embassy team also accepted applications for civil registration, authentication and notarization.

On July 4, Philippine Ambassador to Brazil Eva G. Betita met with Major Roy Iwan Samuels, Deputy Commander of Military Police and Head of Immigration of Suriname, and Policy Officer for Consular Affairs and Migration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Angeladebie Ramkisoen to discuss the working and living conditions of the Filipino workers in Suriname including their employment- and immigration-related problems.

The Embassy team also took part in the basketball tournament of the Filipino community wherein trophies were awarded to the champions. In her speech during the awarding ceremony, Ambassador Betita stressed the importance and positive contributions of the overseas Filipinos to their host countries, like Suriname, as well as to the Philippines in the form of their remittances to their families.

She likewise underscored the importance of voter registration and exercising the Filipinos' right to vote in the 2016 national elections.

There are now approximately 1,000 Filipino workers in Suriname. Most of them are doctors, nurses, engineers, construction workers and factory workers, particularly in the fishing and logging industries.

Source: www.dfa.gov.ph Date accessed: 11 July 2014