PH EMBASSY BRINGS SERVICES CLOSER TO FILIPINOS AT PHILFEST 2025 CONSULAR OUTREACH

PRESS RELEASE

WDC-25-2025

14 April 2025

Embassy Press and Information Section

info@phembassy-us.org

 

The Philippine Embassy joined the vibrant PhilFest 2025 in Tampa, Florida, from April 4 to 7, 2025 for its second consular outreach mission of the year.

Consul Barbie Rosales led the Embassy’s team, providing various consular services, including the processing of 379 passport applications and the reacquisition of Philippine citizenship of 187 individuals.

The four-day outreach was organized in partnership with the  Philippine Cultural Foundation, Inc. (PCFI), benefitting hundreds of attendees and fostering closer ties with the Filipino community in Florida.

“PhilFest is one of the biggest Filipino gatherings in the United States, and we are always happy to support events that celebrate the richness of our culture,” said Ambassador Romualdez. “We at the Philippine Embassy are very proud of our 4 million strong Filipinos, and we remain committed to bringing our services closer to them.”

In addition to offering essential consular services, the Embassy actively engaged with the Filipino community and participated in the PhilFest activities. Consul Rosales joined Fil-Am choreographer Brian Puspos in awarding the winner of the PhilFest Revolution, a dance competition that modernizes Filipino culture through a mix of hip-hop and contemporary dance.

Consul Rosales also joined an informative question and answer session on Day 2 of PhilFest, educating festivalgoers about the wide range of consular services available at the Philippine Embassy. She reminded overseas voters about the online mode of voting for the 2025 National Elections, and took the opportunity to highlight to the public that a child born in the US is also a Filipino citizen if at least one parent was Filipino at the time of the child’s birth. All they needed to do was report the child’s birth by mail to the Philippine Embassy or Consulate. This information was met with great interest, particularly among second- and third-generation Filipino-Americans who are keen on connecting with their Filipino roots. Many festivalgoers expressed their appreciation as it provided clarity on the rights of their children and grandchildren, ensuring their Filipino citizenship will be registered accordingly.

For more information on consular services and upcoming outreach missions, please visit the Embassy’s website philippineembassy-dc.org or email consular@phembassy-us.org. ###