CANBERRA, Australia (13 September 2022) – The Embassy of the Philippines in Canberra completed a five-day mobile consular mission in Brisbane, Queensland on 5 to 9 September 2022.

The mobile consular team processed 657 passport applications and administered the oath of allegiance of seventy-six (76) Filipinos who reacquired their Filipino citizenship through Republic Act No 9225 or the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003. The 76 dual citizens included twelve (12) minor children who are dependents of their parents who applied for the reacquisition of their Filipino citizenship.

Based on the 2021 Australian census, there are over 73,000 Filipinos and Australians of Filipino descent in the State of Queensland. The Embassy has been holding annual consular missions in Brisbane, except in 2020, when travel restrictions were in place due to the pandemic.

The Embassy team was composed of Consul Corina Reyes, Mrs. Emily Reyes, Mr. Rodrigo Gavino and Mrs. Gloria Celis. Assistant Defense and Armed Forces Attachè Col Alexander Gigantone and TSg Darius Oliva provided support to the conduct of the mission. The Embassy worked with the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Brisbane led by Consul Sheryll Gabutero to ensure an organized and productive consular mission. - END