NEW OFFICE. Department of Foreign Affairs Consular Offices Coordinating Division acting director Mark Joshua Ponce (center) introduces the employees of the Antique consular office during the opening program at Robinsons Place in San Jose de Buenavista on Tuesday (Jan. 30, 2024). Ponce said the consular office will initially cater to 100 passport applicants a day. (PNA photo by Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) opened its 39th consular office in Antique on Tuesday, which will initially cater to 100 passport applicants daily.
It temporarily caters to walk-in clients on the 3rd floor of Robinsons Place here while furnishing is ongoing for a more spacious permanent office on the 2nd floor.
DFA Consular Offices Coordinating Division acting director Mark Joshua Ponce said they target to increase the number of clients to 300 in the coming days.
The opening of the consular office spares Antiqueños from too much expenses going to the Iloilo City consular office.
Governor Rhodora Cadiao said together with Senator Loren Legarda, they have lobbied for the consular office since 2019.
“If you recall, one of the 19 casualties in the Ceres bus accident last year was a new maritime graduate who went to Iloilo City to apply for his passport,” Cadiao said in her message. (PNA)
