Hundreds of Filipinos in Oregon acquire dual citizenship

Deputy Consul General to San Francisco Raquel R. Solano administering the oath to dual citizenship petitioners. CONTRIBUTED

Up to 489 residents of Oregon and nearby states reacquired/retained their Filipino citizenship during a Philippine consular outreach Aug. 19-23 at the Doubletree Hotel in Tigard, Oregon. Consular outreach missions are held to provide services in areas without Philippine consulates.

The Tigar, Oregon, consular outreach by the San Francisco Philippine Consulate was coordinated with the Office of Philippine Honorary Consul Enrico Tadeo and in partnership with various FilipinoAmerican organizations, including the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon (PACCO), the Bayanihan Center, and the Filipino American Association of Vancouver, Washington.

Volunteer individuals and organizations also provided their services and resources to ensure the orderly and efficient conduct of the outreach. The U.S. Department of Labor- Wage and Hour Division (DOL-WHD), also held a briefing on workers’ rights during the event.

Tigard Mayor Tom Snyder greeted the 11-man consular team headed by Deputy Consul General Raquel R. Solano. Oregon residents former Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and wife, Cynthia  also visited the outreach, as did 18-year-old Malea Cesar, one of the key members of the Philippine women’s football team.