PH EMBASSY IN ROME SERVES 1,373 FILIPINOS IN MALTA

11 March 2024, ROME – The Philippine Embassy in Rome served more than 1,373 overseas Filipinos in Malta during its consular outreach mission held at the Catholic Institute in Floriana, Malta on 9-10 March 2024.

The consular outreach mission was conducted in partnership with the Philippine Consulate in Malta headed by Consul Roger Strickland,a.h.. The consular outreach team which flew from Rome and headed by Consul General Randy B. Arquiza, facilitated passport applications, civil registry services, notarization, NBI fingerprinting, consultations on assistance-to-nationals services, and overseas voting registration of Filipino nationals. Consul Ma. Claribel Ochoa also administered the oath of allegiance of eight (8) overseas Filipinos who applied for the retention of their Philippine citizenship under Republic Act No. 9225 .

The Migrant Workers Office in Rome (MWO-Rome) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in Rome (OWWA-Rome) were also present and rendered a total of 866 transactions, which included a Post Arrival Orientation Seminar (PAOS) attended by 317 participants. MWO-Rome and OWWA also conducted hospital, company, and workers’ accommodation visits/inspections.

Consul General Arquiza likewise met with overseas Filipinos to brief them about the Bagong Pilipinas principle of Philippine governance. “Bagong Pilipinas is all about taking pride in our country and a call for transformation in the way we project ourselves to each other and to the rest of the world,” remarked Consul General Arquiza. Meanwhile, Consul Ma. Claribel Ochoa conducted a seminar on RA 9170, otherwise known as the Magna Carta of Women attended by 67 participants (47 female, 20 male).

Malta is home to a rapidly growing community of overseas Filipinos, estimated to number about 12,000.

This is the first consular outreach mission conducted by the Embassy in Malta for this year, the last one being held in December 2023. The mission was made possible by the Office of Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs, which funded the conduct of the consular outreach mission. END