By Rodelle Borja
Dublin, Ireland
Filipinos in Ireland are happy with the reopening of the Philippine embassy in Dublin for consular services.
“Having the embassy open again means I can finally access essential services without having to travel to the UK and experience all the hassles,” Francis A., a medical student at the University Hospital Limerick, told Pinoy Portal Europe (PPE).
Evyn Abella, a senior enhanced rehabilitation nurse, also welcomed the re-opening as she can “finally have peace of mind knowing I can ask help from the embassy if I have any inquiries about important matters.”
Fil-Irish senior rehabilitation healthcare assistant, Gilyn Kratkiewicz, was thankful for having the embassy back because for him, it feels like a “homecoming” and that the absence of the embassy even for a short period felt like “we missed our connection to the Philippines.”
The Philippine Embassy in Dublin opened in 2009 but closed down in 2012, placing Ireland under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Embassy in London. It re-opened its doors 12 years later in December last year.
In a phone interview, former Honorary Consul to the Philippine Consulate in Dublin, John Ferris, told PPE that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila decided to close the embassy in 2012, citing financial constraints.
Filipinos in Ireland clamored for the re-opening of the embassy because the honorary consulate can only provide limited services.
“For the last number of years, there has been an honorary consulate operating, but there is so little to do that it only opened on Fridays,” Ferris added.
Ferris served as the honorary consul for the Philippines in Ireland from 1991-2009, ahead of the establishment of the Philippine embassy in the country.
The embassy is temporarily located at Room 108, Alexandra House, 3 Ballsbridge Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin, D04 C7H2, and for a start, can only attend to passport processing, notarial services, civil registrations, and dual citizenship applications.
The embassy, however assures Filipinos in Ireland that they are working on providing full services as soon as possible.
All consular services at the embassy will be available by appointment only.
Filipinos seeking passport services can secure appointments through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) global online appointment system accessible in its official Facebook page.
Other consular services can be made by sending an email to dublinpe.consular@gmail.com.
The embassy encourages the community to book appointments early to ensure timely assistance.
The embassy will be headed by former Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Daniel R. Espiritu, who was appointed to the post last year.
Espiritu has yet to arrive in Ireland, but the embassy hopes that the re-opening of the Philippine embassy represents a new and enhanced chapter in diplomatic relations with Ireland and reaffirms the commitment to serve and support the Filipino community.
END
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