Chicago PH Consul General Calonge recalled to Manila

Consul General in Chicago Generoso Calonge is being recalled to Manila in the regular reshuffling of diplomatic deployments in the Department of Foreign Affrairs. PINOY

Chicago–0ne of the most productive and popular Consul Generals ever posted in the Midwest is being recalled to the Manila home office only three years after he was assigned in his current post.

Ambassador Generoso Calonge who was pulled out as head of the diplomatic corps in Israel in 2014 to replace Ambassador Leo Herrera-Lim, who left Chicago short of two year of the customary six years tenure. Ambassador Lim took over the consular office in Los Angeles.

“It is mandatory for foreign affairs officers to go back to our Manila main office after six years of service abroad. With my three years in Israel and my stay here, it is not surprising that I am being recalled,” explained ConGen Calonge during his monthly town hall meeting Feb. 16.

ConGen Calonge has made his “pagkikita sa konsulado” (get-together at the consulate) every third Thursday of the month at the local consulate to discus issues and to present concerns affecting Filipinos and Filipino Americans within his 18-state jurisdiction as one of his signature projects.

The Chicago consulate also boasts of the fact that it had the highest turnout, percentage-wise, in the most recent Philippine elections among the Philippine foreign posts.

Under The Calonge tenure, the consular outreach has increased considerably resulting, among other improvements, in more former Filipino nationals electing to be dual citizens of the Philippines.

ConGen Calonge will also be remembered as one who initiated the formation of a Consulate-based Knights of Rizal Chapter composed mainly of consular officials.

“If there is an association deserving of our support, it is this fraternity mandated by a Republic Act,” he said during last year’s inaugural of the “Maynilad” Chapter, which hosted recently the commemoration of the 145th year anniversary of the execution of Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora on Feb. 16.

Meanwhile, unofficial report have it that Ambassador Rowena Sanchez, who served as a consul in the 1990s in Chicago, is being eyed to replace ConGen Calonge.