PH Consulate in SF Partners with U.S. State Department-SF Passport Agency and U.S. CIS in Providing Training on Document Security and Immigration-Related Matters

Press Release /

PH CONSULATE IN SF PARTNERS WITH U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT-SF PASSPORT AGENCY AND U.S. CIS IN PROVIDING TRAINING ON DOCUMENT SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION-RELATED MATTERS

Personnel of the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco participated in a training on document security as well as a briefing on immigration-related concerns at the Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Center in San Francisco on 7 July 2023. In the photo are: Deputy Consul General and Acting Head of Post Raquel Solano (center-right), Sara Parham of the U.S. State Department’s San Francisco Passport Agency (center), Vilaysay Phavisith of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (center-left), Consul Jed Llona (extreme left), and Vice Consul Adrian Baccay (extreme right). (San Francisco PCG Photo)

SAN FRANCISCO, USA — As part of ongoing efforts to improve its services to the public, personnel of the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco attended a training on document security which was conducted by the U.S. State Department’s San Francisco Passport Agency. They attended as well a briefing by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on immigration-related matters, at the Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Center on 07 July 2023.

In her welcome remarks, Deputy Consul General and Acting Head of Post Raquel Solano noted the importance of the training for the Consulate’s frontline personnel, who receive applications for passport, visa, dual citizenship, civil registry, and notarial services, with supporting documents issued by U.S. authorities.

“This document security training is important as it will enhance our capacity to detect fraudulent documents, and ensure the integrity not just of our consular processes but also the documents that we deal with from end-to-end, and at every stage of the process,” Acting Head of Post Solano said. The Acting Head of Post expressed her appreciation to the resource persons—Sara Parham of the State Department’s San Francisco Passport Agency, and Vilaysay Phavisith of CIS—for sharing their knowledge and expertise with the Consulate.

(Left photo): Sara Parham of the U.S. State Department presents an overview of the U.S. Passport at the training on document security  for Consulate personnel at the Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Center in San Francisco on 7 July 2023.
 
(Right photo): Vilaysay Phasivith of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services presents an overview on U.S. immigration and documents at the briefing on  immigration-related matters for Consulate personnel on 7 July 2023 at the Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Center. (San Francisco PCG photos)
 

Parham briefed Consulate personnel on pertinent documents issued by the U.S. State Department, including the U.S. Passport, Passport Card, and Consular Report of Birth Abroad.

Phavisith provided an overview on U.S. immigration-related matters, and discussed relevant documents such as U.S. Visas, Permanent Resident Cards or the “Green Cards,” and Certificates of Naturalization and Citizenship.

The Consulate endeavors to build the capacity of its personnel in order to continuously improve the provision of consular services to its clients. END

(Left to right): Vice Consul Adrian Baccay, Deputy Consul General and Acting Head of Post Raquel Solano, Sara Parham of the U.S. State Department, Vilaysay Phasivith of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Consul Jed Llona pose for a photo opportunity at the training on document security and immigration-related matters for Consulate Personnel at the Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Center in San Francisco on 7 July 2023. (San Francisco PCG photo)