Filipino living in Queensland are calling for the establishment of a full-service Philippine Consulate Office after years of struggling to access Consulate and Embassy services.
Despite the launch of celebrations for the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and the Philippines in 2021, this milestone was barely felt in Queensland, with only a limited number of individuals aware of it.
Difficulty in accessing crucial services
The absence of a full-service Consulate Office has left Filipinos in the area struggling to access crucial services, such as the issuance of passports, visas, and certificates of birth, death, and marriage.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there were 73,805 Filipinos recorded in the 11 regions of Queensland in 2021. The Filipinos in Queensland, Australia Facebook group page, created in 2012 by Rudolfo Licera Jr., has grown to over 26,000 members and is where Filipinos share their daily struggles in accessing Consulate and Embassy services.
Philippine Consulate General Office
The Philippine Consulate General Office is a diplomatic office of the Philippine government that represents and assists Filipino citizens, corporations, and institutions in other countries. It deals with the affairs of overseas Filipinos and issues important documents such as passports, visas, and certificates of death, marriage, and birth abroad. However, the issuing of passports has always been a major problem for Filipinos in Queensland, and despite numerous complaints and suggestions, the issue has gone unresolved for several years. The yearly mobile passport service, which is limited to 500-650, was interrupted during the pandemic, forcing Filipinos to travel to Canberra, ACT, Sydney, NSW, or Melbourne, Victoria.
Office closure
In March 2022, the Philippine Consulate General Office in Brisbane was closed, adding to the mounting problems Filipinos faced in accessing consular services. The office closure has left many Filipinos frustrated with unanswered questions. The queries are now being received in open forums on the Filipinos in Queensland, Australia page, and many turn to Jun Licera for assistance. Licera, who travelled to the Philippines when the travel restrictions were lifted, saw first-hand the difficulties Filipinos faced in international and domestic airports.
Passport issuance issue
Currently, the office only offers one-year extension validity for passports and travel documents, thanks to the presence of Honorary Consul Sheryl Gabutero since September 2022. However, Filipinos still need to travel to Canberra, ACT, or Sydney, NSW, for renewal and new passport applications.
Petition
A petition has been created to address the pressing need for a full-service Philippine Consulate Office in Queensland. Many Filipinos, including student visa and working visa holders, have signed the petition, hoping their voices will be heard and acted upon. There are also Filipino babies in Queensland who don’t have Philippine passports due to difficulties in securing a schedule in Canberra, ACT, or Sydney, NSW, including but not limited to financial problems.
Filipinos in Queensland have suffered in silence for too long, and the Brisbane Consulate is inundated with queries. The petition serves as a reality check that a full consular service is desperately needed in Queensland, Australia.
Read the petition on change.org under “We need a Philippine Consulate in QLD with full Consular service“.
The Filipinos in Queensland hope to be heard and receive a solution as soon as possible.
