Will you accept walk ins?

No. As a policy, all consular applicants are required to have a confirmed appointment prior to coming to the Consulate.

Will there be considerations for ballot drop offs as another option aside from mailing them to the Consulate?

Yes, a ballot receptacle box will be provided at the Philippine Center for voters who wish to personally drop off their sealed accomplished ballots.

Will there be a courtesy lane for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and others with special circumstances?

As a policy the Philippine Consulate General in New York requires all consular applicants to have a booked appointment prior to coming to the Consulate. The Consulate may give exception to meritorious cases, such as those with valid and immediate urgency to their requests. To make a request in case you are unable to book an appointment, you can send an email so we can review the merits of your particular situation to: newyorkpcg.notarials@dfa.gov.ph for Notarization, newyorkpcg.dual@dfa.gov.ph for Dual Citizenship, newyorkpcg.passport@dfa.gov.ph for Passport applications. All requests are subject to evaluation and approval is not guaranteed.

Will the Consulate be open on the weekend of May 7-8?

Yes, the Consulate is open 24 /7 for the entire voting period (including weekends and holidays) from 09 April 2022 to 08 May 2022 for registered voters who wish to personally drop off their ballots at the Consulate. The Consulate will be open on 09 May 2022, the last day for the casting of ballots until 7:00 a.m. Ballots received after 7:00am will no longer be counted.

Will my foreign spouse, who will travel with me to the Philippines, be required to secure additional travel documents from the Philippine Consulate before leaving?

The answer would depend on the intended period of stay in the Philippines and if the spouse is a visa-required national under the Philippine visa regulation. Foreign spouse (as well as children) included in the visa waiver category may avail of the Balikbayan-Program for stays of up to one (1) year. Otherwise, they would need to apply for an appropriate visa.

Filipino Christmas Kicks Off in New York With Simbang Gabi, Parols

Press Release

9 December 2020
PR-PPG-007-2020

Filipino Christmas Kicks Off in New York With Simbang Gabi, Parols

New York, December 9.- The Filipino community in New York and the entire US Northeast officially started their Christmas celebration with the lighting of the colorful parols and the Simbang Gabi sa Konsulado (Night Mass) at the Philippine Center in New York City on 3 December 2020.

Every year, the Philippine Center decorates its windows and lobby with parols (traditional Christmas lanterns) and handcrafted items to bring the spirit of the joyful Filipino Christmas to the Big Apple. The Simbang Gabi, on the other hand, is a nine-day series of masses leading up to Christmas and traditionally celebrated in the hours before dawn.

Consul General Petronila P. Garcia led the ceremonial lighting of the first of nine symbolic parols. One parol will be lit every evening, for nine days of the traditional Simbang Gabi sa Konsulado.

In her welcome remarks, Consul General Garcia extended her Christmas greetings to the 340,000-strong Filipino-American community in the U.S. Northeast, and thanked them for their selflessness and generosity. “It is during difficult and challenging times that we must stand resolute as a community and let our bayanihan spirit and resiliency shine,” she added.

Though it has been held for 32 years, it is the first time that the Simbang Gabi is being celebrated virtually. Since March when New York became the country’s COVID epicenter, large public gatherings have been prohibited by local authorities. This, however, did not dampen the spirit of the 79 organizations that enthusiastically joined the Consulate in converting this much-awaited Filipino tradition to a virtual format. The Simbang Gabi now draws thousands of views on Facebook and Youtube as more and more mass goers, from the East Coast and other parts of the U.S., participate in the comfort and safety of their homes.

The theme of this year’s Simbang Gabi saKonsulado is “Maluwalhati at Mapayapang Pasko sa Panahon ng Pandemya”. Despite the anxiety and uncertainties faced by society, Consul General Garcia encouraged the community to continue imparting love and blessings to others, and to overcome challenges with prayer and solidarity. She said, “As one Filipino-American community in the US Northeast, let us be a shining beacon of the true spirit of the Filipino Christmas—faith, peace, unity and bayanihan amidst any and all odds.”

After the mass, the Consulate General also held a memorial service honoring and remembering Fil-Am frontliners and members of the community who passed during the pandemic. Based on reports received by the Consulate, more than 100 in the US Northeast alone have succumbed to the disease since March. Fr. Patrick Longalong, Filipino pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Queens Village, New York, officiated the Simbang Gabi and the memorial service. END