18 April 2006—Consul General Cecilia Rebong of the Philippine Consulate General in New York reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that a team delivered consular services to the Filipino-American community in Brighton Town, Rochester, New York on 8 April 2006, with the assistance of the   Filipino American Association of Rochester.

The consular team, headed by Consul General Rebong, rendered passporting services, accepted applications for dual citizenship and also registered applicants for overseas absentee voting.  The team likewise devoted a few hours answering questions from the community. The questions pertained mostly to dual citizenship, retiring and owning properties in the Philippines.

During a simple ceremony, Ms. Ami Costello, president of the Filipino American Association of Rochester, thanked the Consul General and her team “for bringing consular services right at their doorstep.” Ms. Costello said that to her recollection, this was the first time that a Philippine consular team had reached out to the Filipino-American community in Rochester.

Ms. Sandra Frankel, Town Supervisor of Brighton, who also attended the ceremony,  commended the Filipino-American community in Brighton Town for its significant civic and economic contributions to the town  Ms. Frankel, whose post as town supervisor is the equivalent of mayor, thanked the Consul General and her consular team for visiting and servicing the consular needs of the Filipino-American community in Brighton.  She assured the Consul General that the Filipino-American community in Brighton is a great source of pride to the town and its compatriots back in the Philippines.

Consul General Rebong responded by thanking Frankel and Costello “for having us at Brighton and giving us the opportunity to service the consular needs of our kababayans in your beautiful town and from neighboring towns in Rochester.”  She expressed hope that “this would be the beginning of a lasting and fruitful relationship between the Philippine Consulate General in New York and the Filipino-American community in Brighton, Rochester.”  She gave Ms. Frankel and Ms. Costello token mementos of appreciation (coffee table books on the Philippines) for their hospitality.  (Please refer to the separate photo release on this subject matter.)

Rochester is some 5 to 6 hours by land Northwest of York City.  It is home to approximately three hundred Filipino-American families. END