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.

DFA and COMELEC Conduct Regional Training in New York on Online Voting for 2025 Philippine National Elections

NEW YORK CITY, 28 March 2025 – The Department of Foreign Affairs–Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS) and the Commission on Elections–Office for Overseas Voting (COMELEC-OFOV) successfully conducted the Regional Training for North and Latin America Foreign Service Posts on the General Instructions for the Electoral Boards on the Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS) for the 2025 Philippine National Elections, held from 26 to 28 March 2025 in New York City.

Hosted by the Philippine Consulate General in New York, the three-day training gathered members of the Special Electoral Boards who will serve during the overseas voting period. This activity forms part of the preparations for the first-ever implementation of online voting for overseas Filipinos.

Consul General Senen T. Mangalile welcomed over 70 representatives from the Philippine Embassies in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, and the United States, as well as from the Philippine Consulates General in Calgary, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, and Vancouver, who actively participated in the training.

COMELEC Commissioner Aimee P. Ferolino led the COMELEC delegation, joined by Deputy Executive Director Helen Aguila-Flores and Directors Ian Michel G. Geonanga and John Rex Laudiangco. The DFA-OVS was represented by Vice Chairperson Robert D. Quintin.

Also present were officials from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), led by Undersecretary Sancho A. Mabborang, who reaffirmed that the system had undergone rigorous evaluation by DOST’s top scientists and engineers, ensuring its integrity, security, and reliability.

This year’s elections mark a milestone in Philippine overseas voting with the introduction of online voting as a secure and convenient option for registered overseas voters. Through the OVCS, registered voters will be able to cast their votes using a personal device with internet access— eliminating the need for printed ballots, mailing systems, or personally appearing at the polling stations. The shift to online voting aims to improve access and encourage greater participation, increase voter turnout, and eliminate spoiled and uncounted ballots/votes.

For more details on online voting, visit COMELEC’s official information page: https://info-ov.comelec.gov.ph and/or the Philippine Consulate’s overseas voting webpage: https://tinyurl.com/nypcgovs. END

PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL

New York, USA