Foreign Diplomatic Missions in the Philippines, and Philippine Diplomatic Missions abroad

[xxxriainxxx]

The New Consular Building of DFA at Macapagal Avenue.

Map:





Photos taken yesterday.







Inside the Authentication Office - yes. sobrang dami ng tao dun.

[kiretoce]

Kindly resize your photos, they're too big. Thanks!

[xxxriainxxx]

Originally Posted by kiretoce

Kindly resize your photos, they're too big. Thanks!

I know... but I dunno how. Can you do it for me? Thanks

[kiretoce]

Done.

[xxxriainxxx]

Originally Posted by kiretoce

Done.

Salamat po!

[kiretoce]

No prob.

Originally Posted by xxxriainxxx

Tsk..tsk..tsk..I just noticed this. They incorrectly spelled the word "ENROLLMENT." Sigh....

[xxxriainxxx]

Originally Posted by kiretoce

No prob.



Tsk..tsk..tsk..I just noticed this. They incorrectly spelled the word "ENROLLMENT." Sigh....

British spelling.

[kiretoce]

If that was the British way of spelling, then "center" should've been spelled as CENTRE.

[xxxriainxxx]

Originally Posted by kiretoce

If that was the British way of spelling, then "center" should've been spelled as CENTRE.

British American then.

[diz]

Nope. That's an epic fail.

As far as I'm concerned, we are influenced by American English. I noticed that at first glance.

[kiretoce]

"Magandang gabi," new US envoy greets Filipinos at NAIA

The United States’ new ambassador to the Philippines, Harry Thomas Jr., arrived in Manila on Saturday night and tried his Tagalog on welcomers, greeting them with, “Magandang gabi sa inyong lahat (Good evening to all of you).”

“I am delighted to be here to take up my responsibility as ambassador,” Thomas said in brief remarks at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Rebecca Thompson, the US embassy’s press attaché, said Thomas would be presenting his credentials to Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo on Monday.

The envoy cited the strong ties between the two countries. “We are great friends and we have much to do together. I look forward to working with the people of the Philippines,” he said.

He touched on what his father, Harry Sr., had to say about the Philippines after the latter’s stay here at the end of World War II.

“My father always told me what a great time he had with the people of the Philippines. I hope I can live up to the work he and his colleagues did here,” he said.

Linguist

According to a US Embassy statement, Thomas, who is fluent in Spanish, Hindi and Bengali, is learning Tagalog. He ended his arrival speech at the NAIA with, “Maraming, maraming salamat sa inyong lahat (Many, many thanks to all of you).”

Thomas, 53, is the first African-American ambassador to the Philippines. He succeeded Kristie Kenney, the first woman US ambassador to the Philippines.

Thomas served most recently as director general of the foreign service and director for human resources of the US Department of State.

He served as a special assistant to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and later as executive secretary of the state department.

Thomas joined the foreign service in 1984. He was the US ambassador to Bangladesh from 2003 to 2005. He also served in the White House as director for South Asia in the National Security Council from 2001 to 2002.

Briefed Bush

He was also posted in India, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Peru.

While serving in the White House in 2001, Thomas briefed President George W. Bush as the US was negotiating to keep India
and Pakistan from going to war.

In 2006, Thomas headed a task force that evacuated 15,000 US citizens from Lebanon at the height of clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants.

Born in New York City’s Harlem district on June 3, 1956, Thomas is a graduate of the Jesuit-run College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts. He pursued further studies at Columbia University in New York.

He and his wife Ericka Ovette, a jazz singer, have a daughter, Casey Marie.

[naughtycalboy]

Originally Posted by kiretoce

No prob.



Tsk..tsk..tsk..I just noticed this. They incorrectly spelled the word "ENROLLMENT." Sigh....

I noticed that too.

[kiretoce]

They could've save themselves the embarrassment by naming it "Passport Registration Center." Assuming that they also know how to spell "registration" correctly.

[hakz2007]

New U.S. ambassador to Manila pays courtesies at DFA

MANILA, April `12 (PNA)—The newly-designated U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Harry K. Thomas, Jr. paid a a courtesy call on Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Esteban B. Conejos, Jr. at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Monday afternoon.

The DFA said Conejos and Thomas had “a cordial and pleasant exchange on a range of subjects,” but did not specify.

Thomas will assume his post at the U.S. embassy after presenting his credentials as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Presidnt Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who happens to be in Washington.

In a statement on his arrival on Saturday, and issued by the U.S. embassy today, Thomas reiterated the long-standing special relations between America and the Philippines “as treaty partners…great friends, and we have much to do together.”

”I look forward to working with the people of the Philippines and the people of America and to learn a lot about each other,” he said.

Thomas said that his father had been in the Philippines after World War II and had a great time with Filipinos. “I hope that I can live up to the work that he and his colleagues did here on behalf of the Philippines."

Thomas previously served as ambassador to Bangladesh, and replaced Kristie Kenney in Manila.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=0&nid=1&rid=269382

[diz]

Singapore Embassy in BGC.

[kiretoce]

That looks like a car dealership showroom of some kind.

[red_jasper]

New online US visa application process for Philippines
May 17 2010 by Liam Clifford

Anyone from the Philippines who hopes to travel to the US on a US visa can now apply online through the new DS-160 form.

Applications for a non-immigrant US visa can now be made online, said a statement from the US embassy in Manila. The statement read: 'The new on-line application form replaces three paper forms, so it should be easier and faster for clients to complete their applications.'

The online form allows people to complete part of their application online, save the information they have entered and complete the rest of the form later on. Entered information can also be used again or a later application.

The US embassy said that the new form, as well as being more convenient and quicker, is more environmentally friendly as it cuts down on paperwork. The press statement added further explanation of what the form involves: 'the new form has two key changes. The DS-160 form is submitted electronically, through the Internet, replacing paper forms. Also, the online form requires applicants to upload a digital photograph from the computers they use to complete the application.'

[RonnieR]

US visa fees to increase on June 4
abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 05/25/2010 1:33 PM | Updated as of 05/25/2010 1:33 PM

MANILA, Philippines – The fees for the processing of US visas will increase on June 4, 2010, the US Department of State announced.

“The US embassy in Manila will immediately begin collecting the new fees for appointments made for June 4 or later,” the US Department of State said.

The department said the increase for the Machine Readable Visa (MRV) will ensure sufficient resources to meet the increasing cost of processing non-immigrant visas.

It added that the new fee for tourist/business visas (B1/B2 category), seafarer/crew visas (C1/D), student visas (F), and exchange visitor visas (J) will be $140 or the equivalent in pesos. The new MRV fee for work visas (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) will be $150. Trader/investor visas (E) will rise to $390. Fiancé/Spouse (K) visas will be $350. All other non-immigrant categories will be $140.

Applicants with appointment interview dates on or after June 4 will be required to pay the new fees. Those who are scheduled before June 4 will pay visa fees at the current rate of $131.

All applicants with an interview date of June 4 or later must pay the full MRV fee, even if they have already made an appointment and paid at the old rate of $131.

“The embassy requests that visa applicants who have already paid the MRV fee of $131 for an appointment scheduled after June 4 pay for the difference in fees at the same bank branch where they made the initial $131 payment,” it stated.

It further stated that applicants will not be allowed to enter the embassy for their scheduled interview unless the full MRV fee has been paid.

[april boy]

[Kalemakapii]

South Korea is going to build a new embassy in BGC. Read it in the Bulletin yesterday. But, the paper did not say where in BGC... does anyone know the exact location? Is it going to be near the Singapore Embassy?