Consular outreach mission in the Canaries

The Philippine Embassy in Madrid successfully conducted a consular outreach mission in Las Palmas de Gran Canarias from 13 November to 14 November 2010 at the Gran Hermanos Rogelio Center in the center of the island.The consular team, composed of Vice-Consuls Susana L. Mendiola and Ma. Carmela Teresa A. Cabreira, Assistance to Nationals and Visa Officer Edmundo V. Venturanza, Passport Officer Cecille G. Bustillos, and Collecting Officer Arnel M. Bautista, provided services to 261 Filipinos –  202 passport applications and 59 persons who availed of the Embassy’s other services including notarization of documents, dual citizenship, and registration of births.The consular outreach mission was made possible in coordination with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) and Overseas Welfare Workers Administration (OWWA) in Madrid and the Filipino community in Las Palmas de Gran Canarias.

Las Palmas de Gran Canarias is one of the islands that form the Canary group of islands.  It has the biggest concentration of Filipinos with 892, followed by Tenerife with 692 and Lanzarote with 348.

Other communities in the Canary Islands with Filipinos are Fuerteventura (30), La Gomera (1), and La Palma (18).

Based on the report of the Instituto Canario de Estadistica (ISTAC), there are an estimated 1,981 Filipinos living and working in the many communities in the Canary Islands as of 01 January 2009.

Philippine Embassy Consular Outreach Team in action in Las Palmas de Gran Canarias.