The annual celebration of the Barrio Fiesta organized by the Filipino Catholic Community in Wiesbaden started with a Thanksgiving Mass celebrated by Rev. Father Francis Ofrancia in St. Andreas Church.

This was followed by a cultural program featuring song and dance numbers from Filipino and German performers, as well as drawing of tombola prizes, the proceeds of which will go to charity projects in the Philippines.

Filipino Community Leader Mr. Tony Naluz welcomed regular guests and newcomers from the communities of Bad Homburg, Frankfurt, Limburg and Wetzlar who travelled to Wiesbaden for the barrio fiesta event to enjoy the wide array of Filipino food and products.

In his welcome message, Deputy Consul General Rogelio Villanueva, Jr. noted that the barrio fiesta celebrations highlight the unity, faith and bayanihan spirit of Filipinos in Germany. END

The multi-awarded University of the Philippines (UP) Concert Chorus culminated its month-long International Goodwill Cultural Concert Tour in Europe with a spectacular performance in Frankfurt, Germany.

The UP Concert Chorus or Korus held its MusiKADASIG concert and serenaded the Filipino-German community in St. Ignatius Church after the Filipino Mass celebrated by Rev. Father Francis Ofrancia. The Korus also served as choir during the Mass.

The choral group showed off their world-class singing talent with a medley of English and Filipino songs featuring pieces that won them four major awards including two gold medals in the recently concluded Musica Orbis Prague Festival participated in by 16 countries.

Frankfurt is the last stop of the Korus before they return to the Philippines on 16 July after performing in the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Germany.

In Germany, the Korus performed in Cologne, Bonn, Wiesbaden, Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt and other communities.
Deputy Consul General Rogelio Villanueva, Jr. thanked the members of the Korus led by their conductor Prof. Dr. Janet Sabas-Aracama for making our country proud and bringing the rich choral tradition and Filipino excellence in music and the arts to Germany and Europe in general.

He also thanked the Filipino Catholic Community in Frankfurt for their generous support and Filipino families for hosting the members of the Korus and welcoming them into their homes.

Prof. Aracama conveyed the group’s gratitude to Father Francis for making it possible to hold the concert in St. Ignatius Church and for praying for their safe trip back home. END

Consul General Ivy Banzon Abalos actively engaged at the UN Open House in Bonn on June 3, delving into the upcoming priorities for UNFCCC COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. During the meeting, she also seized the opportunity to foster collaborative exchanges with UN agencies and international organizations headquartered in Bonn.

An applicant applies to renew her passport at the consular outreach mission in Stuttgart last April 27.

The Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt held its second consular outreach mission for the year last 27 April in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Consul Cecille Lao led the outreach team in providing more than 160 consular services to the Filipino-German community in the region, consisting of passport, legalization, civil registry, overseas voters registration, and assistance-to-nationals services.

The Philippine Migrant Workers‘ Office in Berlin (MWO-Berlin) and the Department of Tourism Office in Frankfurt (DOT-Frankfurt) also participated in the outreach event to extend labor-related services to Overseas Filipino Workers in Germany and to promote the Department of Tourism’s Love the Philippines and Filipino food Month campaigns.

Consulate personnel process clients’ civil registry and legalization requests.

Consulate personnel guide an applicant during her overseas voter registration application

MWO-Berlin personnel answer applicants’ queries regarding OWWA benefits and OEC requests

Tourism Attaché Dakila Gonzales promotes the Love the Philippines campaign.

Based on the latest regional statistical reports, there are approximately 6,495 Filipinos living in North Rhine-Westphalia, the second largest number of Filipino residents in Germany after Bavaria.

The Consulate General will hold its next consular outreach activity in Nürnberg, Bavaria to bring consular services closer to the Filipino-German community in the region. (END)

The Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt conducted its second Town Hall Meeting with the Filipino Community for the year on 27 April in Park Inn by Radisson, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg.

During the meeting, Deputy Consul General Rogelio Villanueva, Jr. explained to the Filipino Community the “Bagong Pilipinas” initiative of the administration which calls for the transformation of the country’s economy, governance and whole of society. He also conveyed the message of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to the Filipino Community in Germany during the latter’s visit to Berlin last month.

Mr. Rene Mangune and Welfare Officer Ms. Sylvia Gabriel gave a briefing on OFW services of the Migrant Workers Office and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, respectively, while Tourism Attaché Mr. Dakila Gonzales encouraged the audience to support the country’s “Love the Philippines” campaign. Ms. Rhoda Steegmaier of the Philippine Consulate in Baden-Württemberg shared her impressions of Germany’s new Modernisation of Citizenship Law.

Deputy Consul General Villanueva also gave an overview of the consular services offered by the Consulate and joined other speakers, in responding to questions from the audience during the open forum.

Around thirty leaders and members of Filipino organizations and communities in Stuttgart and nearby cities attended the Town Hall Meeting which was held in collaboration with the Philippine Consulate in Baden-Württemberg headed by Honorary Consul Dr. Axel Neumahr.

In collaboration with the Katolische Hochschule Gemeinde (KHG) and Goethe University in Frankfurt, Post organized a dialogue among German academics, focusing on the exchange of ideas catalyzed by the literary works of Filipino author and journalist Criselda Yabes. The session focused on the themes of peace, military, and politics showcased in Yabes’ writings such as “Peace Warriors: On the Trail with Filipino Soldiers,” “Battle of Marawi,” “Serena’s Story,” “Boys from the Barracks,” and “Crying Mountain,” among others. She underscored the profound impact literature can have in challenging societal paradigms and fostering positive change. She passionately articulated her motivations behind each narrative, offering a nuanced perspectives of Mindanao-related topics drawn from her childhood experiences and journalistic career covering the region. She also featured a selection of books on Mindanao, the majority of which were written by foreign authors.

In her remarks during the event, Vice Consul Fatima Mueller reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to fostering a ‘culture of peace’ emphasizing that the literary works of Criselda Yabes and other Filipino authors whose narratives celebrate cultural diversity, dialogue, reconciliation and understanding could nurture a ‘culture of peace’ that leads to a more harmonious society. END

The Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt held its first consular outreach mission for the year last 20 April at St. Winfried Church in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Consul Cecille Lao led the outreach team in providing almost 200 consular services to the Filipino-German community in the region, consisting of passport, legalization, civil registry, overseas voters registration, and assistance-to-nationals services.

The Philippine Migrant Workers‘ Office in Berlin (MWO-Berlin), led by Officer-in-Charge Delia Palomar, as well as Tourism Attaché Mr. Dakila Gonzales of the Department of Tourism Office in Frankfurt (DOT-Frankfurt) also participated in the outreach event to extend labor-related services to Overseas Filipino Workers in Germany and to promote the Department of Tourism’s Love the Philippines campaign.

Based on the latest regional statistical reports, there are approximately 6,495 Filipinos living in North Rhine-Westphalia, the second largest number of Filipino residents in Germany after Bavaria.

The outreach event was made possible through the assistance of Father Rodel Liguid of the Filipino Chaplaincy in the Archdiocese of Cologne, Filcom leader Ays Espiritu, and volunteers from the Filipino-German community.

The Consulate General will hold its next consular outreach activity in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg to bring consular services closer to the Filipino-German community in the region. (END)

Applicants for passport, civil registry, and legalization services are served during the consular outreach mission in St. Winfried Church last April 20.

     Consulate personnel guide an applicant during her overseas voter registration application.

   MWO-Berlin personnel answer an applicant’s queries.

     Tourism Attaché Dakila Gonzales promotes the Love the Philippines campaign.

In his briefing on the “Bagong Pilipinas” campaign, Deputy Consul General Rogelio Villanueva, Jr. rallied the members of the Filipino Community to the President’s call for transformation by ending the culture of negativity, becoming self-affirming and mutually-encouraging people, and trusting the government while doing their part as good citizens.

Deputy Consul General Villanueva highlighted the positive aspects of the Filipino diaspora and potential of overseas Filipinos to contribute to their host country. Emphasizing that overseas Filipinos are known for their competence, adaptability, resilience and compassion, he exhorted the Filipino community to continuously strive for excellence.

During the meeting, Consul Cecille Lao delivered a presentation on consular services and provided information on frequently asked questions on passport and notarial applications, civil registration and dual citizenship. She addressed several inquiries pertaining to Germany’s new Modernisation of Nationality Law.

Other agencies that participated in the meeting with the Filipino Community and delivered presentations include the Migrant Workers Office and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration based in Berlin and Department of Tourism – Frankfurt. The Pag-IBIG Fund representative in London also participated via Zoom.

More than a hundred members of the Filipino Community under the Archdiocese of Cologne attended the Town Hall Meeting held in the community hall of St. Winfried Church which was preceded by the Filipino Mass officiated by Father Rodel Liguid SVD.