29 October 2017, Dubai – The Philippine Consulate General in Dubai offered passport renewal processing and overseas absentee voting services to Filipinos in Dubai and Northern Emirates during the Special Consular Day on 27 October 2017.  Two hundred seventy-seven (277) Filipinos renewed their passports on the said date, which represents 81% of the Consulate’s expected turnout. 

Fifteen percent (15%) of the total turnout on Friday belong to those applicants who need not secure appointment such as pregnant women, new-born babies and children below 10 years old, senior citizens, and persons with disability (PWD).

The Consulate was also able to register 228 additional overseas absentee voters bringing the total number of registered absentee voters in Dubai to 54,555.  The overseas absentee registration will end in September 2018.

The Special Consular Day was held in addition to the special passport processing days that the Consulate conducts one Friday every quarter in Dubai, and to the regular consular missions in Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.  The Consulate offers consular services on weekends to keep the wait time for passport appointments as short as possible.

The Consul General shared that the Consulate’s online appointment system was filled up quickly days after the announcement of the Special Consular Day.  However, on the actual day, only 68% of those who booked an appointment online showed up, putting to waste a number of appointment slots that could have been used by those who needed to renew their passport soonest. 

The Consul General therefore reiterates his request for the Filipino community's assistance in addressing the long waiting period for passport renewal appointments. He enjoins applicants to appear personally on their scheduled date and time for passport processing and data capturing.  He urges those who cannot come in on their appointment to cancel their appointments or inform the Consulate, through email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,  five (5) days before their schedule.  This would allow the Consulate to cancel the appointment and open the slot for others. 

On the same day, the Overseas Filipino Civil Engineers Association (OFCEA) also conducted technical training for civil engineers in the UAE, and offered skills development to distressed Filipinos currently residing in the POLO Resource Center.  END