Public Advisory on Illegal Recruitment of Call Center Agents in mainland Southeast Asia

Public Advisory 003-202328 February 2023 ILLEGAL RECRUITMENT OF CALL CENTER AGENTS MAINLAND SOUTHEAST ASIA The Philippine Consulate General in New York warns the public against syndicates operating online that seek to recruit "Customer Service Representatives" or "Call Center Agents" in Southeast Asian countries.These syndicates provide their victims, including Filipinos, with tickets to fly to a Southeast Asian country. Upon arrival, however, the recruits are relocated to remote areas and forced to work on online cryptocurrency scams and internet fraud. Victims are subjected to physical and psychological abuse, difficult working conditions, non-payment of wages, and confiscation of passports and mobile phones. They and their family are threatened with grave bodily harm and even death if they would not cooperate. In some cases, victims were sold to other syndicates which are engaged in sexual exploitation and slavery.The Consulate strongly advises the public to exercise caution when confronted with online offers for employment in mainland Southeast Asia.

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Public Advisory on Ponzi Schemes

Public Advisory 002-202310 February 2023 PUBLIC ADVISORY ON PONZI SCHEMES The Philippine Consulate General in New York reminds the Filipino community to exercise vigilance and extreme caution when conducting business and investing hard-earned dollars with individuals and entities of unreliable repute. Most often they turn out to be scammers and fraudsters involved in Ponzi schemes. A Ponzi scheme is an investment fraud that involves the payment of unusually high returns to existing investors from funds contributed by new investors. Ponzi scheme organizers often solicit new investors by promising to invest funds in opportunities claimed to generate high returns with little or no risk. With little or no legitimate earnings, Ponzi schemes require a constant flow of money from new investors to continue. Ponzi schemes inevitably collapse, most often when it becomes difficult to recruit new investors or when a large number of investorsask for their funds to be returned. Since Ponzi schemes can fly under the radar for years before they unravel, it is important to be vigilant and practice due diligence when deciding where to invest your hard-earned dollars. If the professional you are working with guarantees you above-market, no-risk returns on your investments, then this should be a red flag.…

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Maintenance of the Passport System

Public Advisory 001-202330 January 2023 MAINTENANCE OF THE PASSPORT SYSTEM The Philippine Consulate General in New York informs kababayan that the Passport Online Appointment System (passport.gov.ph) will still be under scheduled maintenance until Monday, 30 January 2023, 10:59 AM ET. This same system maintenance will also affect Online Visa Appointment System (OVAS) and Philippine Visa Management System (PVMS). The Passport Online Appointment System (passport.gov.ph) is expected to be available by 11:00 AM ET of 30 January 2023.We request for the public’s understanding regarding the matter as we continue to improve our appointment system to better serve the Filipino people.

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Public Advisory: Online Visa Application System Under Maintenance

Public Advisory 086-202225 Novmber 2022 ONLINE VISA APPLICATION SYSTEM UNDER MAINTENANCE The Consulate General of the Philippines in New York informs the public that the Philippine Online Visa Application System (OVAS) will be temporarily inaccessible until Sunday, 27 November 2022, in view of system updates and changes. In this regard, visa applications will be received and processed manually during this period.Visa applicants are advised to communicate with the Philippine Consulate General in New York through the following contact details in proceeding with their applications and for further inquiries:Email: newyorkpcg.visa@dfa.gov.phPhone: (212) 764-1330 extension 2017Website: www.newyorkpcg.org

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Public Advisory: Transiting Foreign Nationals Who Seek Entry Into the Philippines are Covered Under Section A(1)(E) of IATF Resolution No. 168

Public Advisory 085-20226 October 2022 TRANSITING FOREIGN NATIONALS WHO SEEK ENTRY INTO THE PHILIPPINES ARE COVERED UNDER SECTION A(1)(E) OF IATF RESOLUTION NO. 168 The Consulate General of the Philippines in New York informs the public that pursuant to 25 August 2022 clarification letter by the Department of Health, transiting foreign nationals who seek entry into the Philippines are covered under Section A(1)(e) of IATF Resolution No. 168 which provides:“A. Foreign nationals may enter the Philippines provided they comply with the applicable visa requirements and immigration entry and departure formalities; and provided further that they:e. For temporary visitors, have valid tickets for their return journey to the port of origin or next port of destination corresponding to their permitted/allowable duration of stay under a valid visa or visa-free entry as the case may be.”In view of the foregoing, the following shall apply:1. IATF Resolution No. 146 which limits international hub operations to airside transfer between NAIA Terminal 1 and 2, and within Terminal 3 is deemed superseded by IATF Resolution No. 168, s.2022 effective 30 May 2022; and2. Passengers making transfer via admission may be allowed to enter the Philippines, provided that all the applicable requirements under IATF Resolution No.…

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New Post-Entry PCR Test Requirement for International Arrivals in Republic of Korea

Public Advisory 081-20225 August 2022 NEW POST-ENTRY PCR TEST REQUIREMENT FORINTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS IN REPUBLIC OF KOREA The Consulate General of the Philippines in New York informs kababayan that effective 25 July 2022, the Republic of Korea (ROK) Government requires post-entry RT PCR test requirement for international arrivals which must be taken “within the day of arrival” or “day after arrival.” The ROK Government previously allowed taking and submission of the RT PCR test results within three (3) days from the date of entry to the country.The said RT PCR test results (i.e., negative certificate) must be uploaded through the ROK Q-Code system (https://cov19ent.kdca.go.kr).For further information, click the following link: https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/ph-en/brd/m_3275/view.do?seq=760900 and https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/us-newyork-en/brd/m_4235/view.do?seq=761567

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