THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officially opened a consular office in Bohol with the inauguration, ribbon-cutting ceremony held at 5th Floor of the Alturas Mall, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia avenue, Tagbilaran City on November 29.
The said office is the 7th in the Visayas and 41st in the country, Domingo said.
With the opening of the new office here, Boholanos will never go in faraway DFA outlets in Mindanao and other places for application and renewal of their passports and other related transactions.
It was conceived years back was made possible thru House Bill No. 8767, authored by Rep. Edgar Chatto (1st dist, Bohol). “We would not have realized it without good planning, without good implementation, and without all of us working together,” he said.
Gov. Aris Aumentado said in his speech that the dream of Bohol n having its own consular office has been realized. He recalled that mobile passport services conducted by the Provincial Government in partnership with DFA have been done to cater the needs of the Boholanos. He added that Boholanos won’t go to anywhere else to get and renews their passports.
Usec. Jesus Domingo quoted Adelio Angelito Cruz, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Consular Affairs. “Let’s make this a template of how a consular office is created in our provinces and regions. From day one, when this project came forth the leadership of our Secretary (Manalo), is (that) this will be the model consular office.”
Before the ribbon-cutting, Cruz administered the oath of office of the 15 newly hired DFA-Bohol personnel. Moreover, DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo also extended his congratulatory message via a pre-recorded video, while Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap and 1st District Representative Cong. Edgar Chatto also gave their messages.
Meanwhile, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed by DFA’s Usec. Domingo and general manager Marlito Uy of the Alturas Superstore Company, a company where the DFA is located. Asec. Cruz and Karen Jane Longjas, ASC Corporate Leasing Manager, City Mayor Jane Yap and other officials witnessed the signing. (Ric Obedencio)
