Philippine Consulate General, San Francisco

The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco is a diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines in the United States, representing the country's interests in northern California. It is located in the San Francisco building of the Philippine Center at 447 Sutter Street in central San Francisco, a couple of blocks north of Union Square.

Philippine Consulate General, San Francisco
Konsulado Panlahat ng Pilipinas sa San Francisco
LocationSan Francisco, California
Address447 Sutter Street
Coordinates37°47′20.7″N 122°24′28.7″W
Consul GeneralHenry S. Bensurto Jr.
Websitephilippinessanfrancisco.org

History

The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco was opened in 1946, immediately after the Philippines was granted independence by the United States, with Roberto Regala serving as the mission's first consul.[1] The next year, it established an extension office in Los Angeles, which would later become its own mission in 1955.[2]

During the 1970s and 1980s, protesters opposed to Ferdinand Marcos regularly demonstrated outside the Consulate, and throughout his presidency the Consulate, along with other missions in the United States, was perceived as teeming with agents loyal to the Marcos regime. When Marcos was ousted in the People Power Revolution in 1986, anti-Marcos demonstrators confronted the mission's staff outside on Sutter Street, eventually taking over the Consulate entirely.[3] It continues to be a place for anti-government demonstrations today; in 2017, demonstrators protested in front of the Consulate against Rodrigo Duterte and his second State of the Nation Address.[4]

In 2003, the Philippine government briefly contemplated selling the Consulate building, which elicited a strongly negative response from Max Soliven, founder of The Philippine Star, especially in light of the Philippine government's decision to sell during the presidency of Corazon Aquino a building facing Union Square housing the Philippine Airlines offices in San Francisco, which was sold at a significant loss.[5]

Staff and activities

The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco is headed by Consul General Henry S. Bensurto Jr.

Currently, the Consulate's jurisdiction covers northern California, northern Nevada, and the states of Washington, Oregon, Montana, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Alaska.[1] The Consulate holds regular consular missions through its Consulate-on-Wheels (COW) program in major cities within its jurisdiction, including in Anchorage,[6] Seattle,[7] Portland,[8] and Colorado Springs,[9] as well as in smaller communities. COW programs are also held in communities throughout the Bay Area.[10]

The Consulate has also experimented with various ways of reaching out to Filipinos aside from providing consular services. It launched its monthly public forum, "Talakayan sa Konsulado" ("Forum at the Consulate"), on February 14, 2014,[11] as well as a monthly "FAQ Friday" where the Consulate answers questions from the public on its Facebook page.[12] In October 2014, community leader Rudy Asercion partnered with the Consulate to launch his national Safe Haven program, which helps provide safe spaces for children affected by bullying and violence.[13]

See also

References
  1. "About the Office". Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco. Department of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  2. "Brief History of the Consulate". Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles. Department of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  3. Pimentel, Boying (February 16, 2016). "Occupy Philippine Consulate". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  4. Nucum, Jun (July 27, 2017). "Militants in SF hold own SONA, hit Duterte's 'broken promises'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  5. Soliven, Max (May 2, 2003). "The sinister, sneaky plot to haul down our flag from the main street of the world". The Philippine Star. PhilStar Daily, Inc. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  6. "Fil-Ams urged to vote in US and PH elections". Philippine Daily Inquirer. November 4, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  7. "SF 'Consulate-on-Wheels' holds first 2014 outreach in Seattle". Philippine Daily Inquirer. March 14, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  8. "Filipinos in Oregon get service from consular missions". Philippine Daily Inquirer. June 4, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  9. "Filipinos in Colorado turn out for passports, dual citizenship". Philippine Daily Inquirer. September 23, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  10. "Traveling 'consulate' brings services to Eureka and Milpitas, California". Philippine Daily Inquirer. August 25, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  11. "SF consulate holds first 'Talakayan' on issues affecting Filipino nationals". Philippine Daily Inquirer. February 28, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  12. "San Francisco Consulate launches 'FAQ Friday' about services". Philippine Daily Inquirer. February 1, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  13. Conclara, Rommel (October 10, 2014). "Why the Safe Haven Program is important for Pinoys". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
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