PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL

Press Release 06 June 2023 Philippine Consulate New York Participates in the Philippine Flag Raising Ceremony in New Jersey "Today marks an important day," Deputy Consul General Cruz remarked, "for we are taking part in the raising of the Philippine and American flags, a testimony of the especially close relations between the Philippines and America." (Philippine Consulate General Photo by Ruth Galiza) The Proclamation signed by Mayor Steven M. Fulop reads, "as Mayor of the City of Jersey City, I hereby proclaim... we honor the 125th Anniversary of Philippine Independence in Jersey City... and urge all residents to celebrate with the appropriate ceremonies and festivities." (Philippine Consulate General Photo by Ruth Galiza). The Philippine flag is unfurled and displayed in front of the Jersey City Hall. (Philippine Consulate General Photo by Ruth Galiza). Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop awards certificates of appreciation to PAFCOM and deserving FilAm community members. (Philippine Consulate General Photo by Ruth Galiza).

Press Release PCGNY-012-2023 8 May 2023 PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL NEW YORK PARTICIPATES IN CHARM OF ASIA The Philippine Consulate General in New York successfully co-organized and participated in The Charm of Asia May Extravaganza New York 2023 at Tangram Mall in Flushing, New York on 06 and 07 May 2023.  The two-day festival was held in commemoration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month and offered a glimpse of the art and culture of various Asian countries. New York elected officials led by NYS Senator John Liu and representatives from the Consulates General of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand graced the opening ceremonies.   Consul General Senen T. Mangalile delivered his welcome remarks, noting that at the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic, undue negative attention was showered on the members of the AAPI community leading to incidents of anti-Asian hate. He expressed appreciation that this festival would be an opportunity for more people to learn about the culture of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders which would lead to a more harmonious relationship among various immigrant groups in New York City.  Officials and staff of the Philippine Consulate as well as the Philippine Department of Tourism Office in…

PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL NEW YORK OPENS CLAUDE TAYAG EXHIBIT The Philippine Consulate General in New York successfully hosted the opening reception of the “Water Colors” exhibit by Mr. Claude Tayag at the Philippine Center lobby in New York on 27 April 2023 at 6:30pm. Consul General Senen T. Mangalile welcomed the participants to the opening, composed of kababayan from the Filipino-American community. In his remarks, he mentioned that aside from being a celebrated chef and food writer, Mr. Tayag is also a self-taught artist who discovered his interest in watercolors during his travels in Europe.  He welcomed all to enjoy the twenty two selected pieces of watercolor paintings which he stated “are guaranteed to stir your senses and elicit a response.” Mr. Tayag thanked the Philippine Consulate General in New York for hosting his art exhibit as well as sponsoring his book signing event at the Philippine Center on Monday, 24 April 2023. The exhibit was officially launched by a simple ribbon cutting ceremony conducted by Consul General Senen T. Mangalile, Ambassador Antonio M. Lagdameo of the Philippine Mission to the United Nations, Mr. Claude Tayag and his spouse Mary Ann Quioc-Tayag. The exhibit will run until 12 May 2023.…

Preeminent Historian Lectures on Rizal in the “Age of Disinformation” New York, 21 April 2023 – The very first in-person episode of Sentro Rizal New York’s “Bayani Series” was held at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center on Thursday, 20 April 2023, with no less than renowned historian and foremost Rizal expert, Dr. Ambeth R. Ocampo, serving as speaker. “Bayani Series,” a flagship program of Sentro Rizal New York, is a means to inspire Filipino-Americans, particularly the 2nd and 3rd generations, to reconnect with their Philippine heritage, by learning about the personal journeys and the insights and perspectives of Philippine heroes. Entitled “Rizal and History in the Age of Disinformation,” Professor Ocampo delivered a lecture about the continuing relevance of Jose Rizal in the age of “fake news.” He also discussed a prolific forger, by the name of Jose E. Marco, who wrote various fictitious accounts to fill in gaps in Philippine history from non-existent sources, such as the “Code of Kalantiaw,” a supposed penal code in force prior to the Spanish colonial rule, and the “La Loba Negra,” a novel purportedly written by Fr. Jose A. Burgos. Professor Ocampo also touched upon the concept of “necessary fictions” –…

Press Release PCGNY-011-202314 April 2023 PHILIPPINE ECONOMIC FORUM AND HIMS ROADSHOW HELD IN NEW YORK The Philippine Consulate General in New York and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in New York hosted an Economic Forum and Healthcare Information Management Services (HIMS) Roadshow on Thursday, 13 April 2023 at the Philippine Center.Composed of representatives from the Department of Trade Industry’s (DTI) Export Marketing Bureau (EMB), DTI Bureau of Investments (BOI), Department of Information of Communications Technology (DICT), the IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), the Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines (HIMAP), the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), and various companies from the Philippines, the delegation held a dialogue with the business communities in the U.S. Northeast to discuss the HIMS industry in the Philippines and what it has to offer.The delegation presented to the U.S. market Philippines’ capacity and capability to provide process and technology services related to healthcare information and management services particularly on Care Management, Utilization Review, Revenue Cycle Management, Claims and Reimbursements, Clinical Trials, Pharmaceutical and Life Science, Health IT, Hospital and Clinical Management Systems, Data Analytics, Robotic Process Automation, Machine Learning and AI, and Voice and Non-Voice Clinical Support…

Press Release PCGNY-010-2023 17 April 2023 NY PCG CONDUCTS A KNOW-YOUR-RIGHTS WEBINAR ON WORKER’S RIGHTS The Consulate held a Know-Your-Rights (KYR) webinar on 05 April 2023 with guest speaker Ms. Mirna Velasquez, Special Assistant to the Commissioner for Consular Affairs of the New York State’s Department of Labor (DOL), who gave a presentation on workers’ rights under New York’s state laws. The webinar was attended by at least 55 overseas Filipino workers, mostly Filipino nurses and homecare health workers. Key takeaways from the webinar include the state’s prescribed minimum wage and overtime pay, and the Family Medical Leave Act, the Salary History Law, and the law against employer’s retaliation. Ms. Velasquez also shared information on services provided by the DOL including the implementation of labor policies, protection of wages, enforcement of safety and health standards, job placement and job matching, career development counseling, and unemployment insurance. The key points raised in the webinar is accessible in this link:  https://dol.ny.gov/.  Meanwhile, the “Workers’ Bill of Rights Booklet” is available in 15 languages including Tagalog, at https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dca/downloads/pdf/workers/Workers-Bill-of-Rights-Tagalog.pdf  for the information of our Filipino workers in the United States. Post will host another KYR webinar in May 2023.

Press Release PCGNY-009-202310 April 2023 U.S. NAVY VETERAN WHO FOUGHT IN THE PHILIPPINES DURING WWII HONORED New York, 10 April 2023 – The Philippine Consulate General in New York (PCGNY) and Sentro Rizal New York (SRNY) commemorated “Araw Ng Kagitingan” (Day of Valor) by honoring decorated U.S. Navy Combat veteran, Arthur Grabiner, in a simple recognition ceremony at the Philippine Center on Wednesday, 05 April 2023. Mr. Grabiner, onboard USS Laurens, fought during the Allied Operations in Lingayen Gulf, Province of Pangasinan in the Philippines during World War – a critical military campaign that led to the liberation of the major island of Luzon from Japanese imperial forces.The program consisted of the awarding of honors and citations from the Filipino Veterans Recognition Project, represented by Regional Director Sonny Busa; New York City Department of Veterans’ Services represented by Deputy Commissioner Glenda Villareal Garcia and Assistant Commissioner Ellen Greeley; New York State Assemblymember Steven Raga, who is concurrently a member of the Assembly’s Veterans’ Affairs Committee; and PCGNY and SRNY.“War is an ugly thing. But when war comes knocking on the door, gallant men heed the call and rise to the occasion to stand against tyranny and oppression. Such is the case with…

Press Release PCGNY-008-2023 30 March 2023 NEW YORK PCG HOSTED UNITY IFTAR AT THE PHILIPPINE CENTER The Philippine Consulate General in New York hosted a Unity Iftar event at the lobby of the Philippine Center yesterday, 29 March 2023.The event, which started at 7:00pm, was in partnership with the Kinding Sindaw Heritage Foundation, Inc. Consul General Senen T. Mangalile welcomed the participants to the event which included representatives from the Mayor’s Office of International Affairs, headed by Commissioner Edward Mermelstein. In his remarks, he mentioned that as a country of laws, the practice of ones faith is guaranteed and that by virtue of Philippine laws, the Islamic holidays of Eid’ ul Fitr and Eid’ ul Adha are Philippine national holidays. Commissioner Mermelstein extended the warm greetings of the Mayor of New York and reiterated the City’s commitment to ensure the equal protection of all its residents, including members of the Asian American community. The participants, numbering 52 people, quietly participated in the evening prayers (Maghrib) and joined in the breaking of the fast with food generously provided by Kinding Sindaw and its partners. The delegation from the Mayor’s Office thanked the Consulate for an informative evening. END Photo Release PCGNY-056-2023…

Press Release PCGNY-007-2023 13 March 2023 “A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE” BOOK SIGNING HELD AT NEW YORK PCG The Philippine Consulate General in New York hosted a book signing session featuring Dr. Brian Poe Llamanzares and his latest book A Sustainable Future. In his remarks at the Philippine Center in New York on 10 March 2023, Dr. Llamanzares offered an optimistic and holistic perspective on the current challenges brought by climate change, and how Filipinos as stakeholders can understand and collectively address the broad range of issues on sustainability. The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) worked closely with the Philippine Consulate in making the event possible. Consul General Senen T. Mangalile praised Dr. Poe Llamanzares for his work, noting the book’s detailed yet pragmatic guide to adopting and driving sustainability practices. Consul General Mangalile welcomed the participants to the event, composed of representatives from the Philippine Delegation to the 67th Session of the UN Commission on the Status on Women, members of NaFFAA, and kababayan from the Filipino-American community.  END Photo Release PCGNY-040-2023 13 March 2023 "A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE" BOOK LAUNCH “A Sustainable Future” Book launch. Consul General Senen T. Mangalile welcomes all participants to the book launch. (Philippine Consulate…