PRESS RELEASE

Philippine Embassy, Canberra

1 Moonah Place, Yarralumla, ACT 2600
www.philembassy.org.au    *Tel. No. 02-6273-2535*

25 October 2026, DARWIN – The Philippine Embassy in Canberra conducted a two-day mobile consular mission in Darwin, Northern Territory, on 24–25 October 2026 as part of its continuing efforts to extend consular services to Filipino communities across Australia.

Led by Minister and Consul General Sheila Tario, the four-member Embassy team rendered passport, dual citizenship, notarial, civil registry, and overseas voter registration services at Novotel Darwin CBD. Labor Attaché Melissa C. Mendizabal of the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) Canberra also participated in the mission to assist Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the region.

The Embassy processed 128 passport applications, facilitated the reacquisition of Philippine citizenship of 19 dual citizens pursuant to the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003, and registered 73 overseas voters. It also processed 14 notarial transactions and six civil registry applications. Meanwhile, MWO Canberra processed 45 applications for Overseas Employment Certificates and 32 work contract verifications for OFWs.

The mission accommodated applicants from Darwin and other parts of Northern Australia, including Filipinos who traveled from regional areas of Northern Territory and Western Australia. Members of the Filipino community welcomed the initiative, noting that it provided a convenient and more affordable means of accessing consular services without having to travel to Canberra.

According to the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census, 8,250 residents of the Northern Territory reported Filipino ancestry, comprising 3.5 percent of the Territory's population. Of these, 6,864 resided in Greater Darwin, representing 4.9 percent of the area's population.

The Embassy remains committed to improving access to consular services for Filipino nationals, particularly those residing in regional and remote areas of Australia, through the conduct of mobile consular missions within its jurisdiction. END.