Page 1 - 2017 JUL -DEC KAAKBAY

July to December
2017

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE PHILIPPINES IN NEW YORK
556 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10036 • Telephone: 212-764-1330 • Website: www.newyorkpcg.org •

Email: phcongen.newyork@gmail.com • Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/philippine-consulategeneral-newyork

Year-End Message from the Consul General, Ma. Theresa B. Dizon- De Vega

The men and women of the Philippine Consulate General in New York convey warmest wishes
for a peaceful, joyful and meaningful yuletide season to all our kababayans in the US Northeast.

As 2017 comes to a close we can look back on another milestone year for the Filipino-
American Community in our region.
We started the year with the best-attended Filipino-American Community General Assembly yet and ended it
with another successful holding of the Simbang Gabi sa Konulado and the commemoration of the martyrdom of Dr. Jose P.
Rizal.
In between were months replete with events and fora on Assistance-to Nationals and empowerment for
underserved sectors such as vulnerable migrants and the elderly, Women’s Month celebrations, Philippine Independence
Month, parades, Filipino-American History Month, commemorative events honoring our heroes, exhibits, book launches,
talks, economic and tourism promotion programs, consular outreach missions, continuing overseas absentee voting
registration, political outreach efforts, among many other activities. Our other Flagship programs like the Paaralan sa
Konsulado, Homecoming sa Konsulado, and Filipino Restaurant week continued to grow by leaps and bounds.
Along with other Philippine Foreign Service posts in the US and with the US and the New York Consulate General
serving as Coordinator, we successfully re-launched the US Ambassadors’ Tour in July.
To address critical issues which continued to affect Filipino nationals, we forged an agreement with the Damayan
Migrant Workers’ Association to work more closely on addressing human and labor trafficking concerns.
We witnessed the historic conferment of the Congressional Gold medal to our heroic Filipino veterans of World
War II.
We welcomed senior government officials, including Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Peter S. Cayetano, and
arranged events for them to interact wit the Filipino Community,
We witnessed another banner year for the Philippines with consistently high growth percentages and a 6.9%
GDP growth rate for the 3rd quarter 2017. Furthermore, this significant year was capped by the Philippines’ landmark
Chairmanship of ASEAN on its 50th year of existence.
As we welcome 2018, we look forward to an even more robust engagement with the Filipino-American
community and our other partners under the leadership of our new Ambassador to the US, H.E. Manuel “Babe”
Romuladez, as together we chart a more visible and substantial role for our nationals in the US and the Philippines.
Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon!

PCGNY Family 2017