THE CONSULATE
History
The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco was opened on 2 December 1946—17 months since the Philippines signed the United Nations Charter at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco on 26 June 1945, and almost five months since the country established formal diplomatic relations with the United States on 4 July 1946. At the time, the Consulate conducted the Philippines’ international relations on the U.S. West Coast.
The Consulate was previously housed at the San Francisco Ferry Building and in the Presidio between Lake & 24th Streets, before it moved to its permanent and current location at the Philippine government-owned Philippine Center in Union Square in 1974.
Historical Highlights
1946 | Establishment of the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco |
1947 | Creation of the Consulate’s extension office in Los Angeles (which became the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles) |
1957 | Transfer of Consulate offices to the San Francisco Ferry Building |
1963 | Creation in San Francisco of the (now-defunct) Council of United Philippine Organizations, the first umbrella organization of Filipino Community groups in Northern and Central California, initiated by the Consulate |
Creation in San Francisco of the (now-defunct) National Council of All Filipino Organizations in America, the first umbrella organization of Filipino Community groups in the United States, initiated by the Consulate and attended by Philippine Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez | |
1968 | Transfer of Consulate offices to the Presidio, between Lake and 24th Streets |
1969 | Conferment by the Consulate of “Outstanding Farm Labor Leadership” on Filipino American labor and civil rights leader Larry Itliong |
1970 | Opening of a cultural room at the Consulate, which houses a Filipino museum and Filipiniana library |
1973 | Creation of the San Francisco Filipino American Chamber of Commerce (SFFACC), under the auspices of the Consulate |
1974 | Transfer of Consulate offices to its permanent and current location at the Philippine Center in San Francisco |
Creation of the Philippine Center Management Board via Presidential Decree No. 487, to manage the Philippine Center | |
1988 | Launch of the Consulate’s consular outreach program, known as “Consulate on Wheels” |
1990 | Creation of the Science and Technology Council of San Francisco and the Bay Area (now STAC Silicon Valley), under the auspices of the Consulate and with Dado Banatao as founding president |
1998 | Launch of the Consulate’s first official website and email |
2003 | Launch of the Consulate’s dual citizenship (Philippine citizenship reacquisition and retention) service |
2004 | Launch of overseas voting for registered Filipino citizens, for the 2004 Philippine presidential elections |
2005 | Launch of the “Ambassador’s/Consuls General’s Tour” of the Philippines (now known as the “Very Important Pinoy or VIP Tour”) |
2009 | Establishment of the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Oregon |
2010 | Issuance of the first-ever Philippine e-passport by the Consulate |
2011 | Creation of the Consulate’s official Facebook page |
2013 | Establishment of the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Alaska |
Creation of the Consulate’s official Twitter (now X) account | |
2017 | Establishment of the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Colorado |
2019 | Opening of Sentro Rizal San Francisco, the Consulate’s cultural hub |
2021 | Launch of the Consulate’s current official website |
Launch of the Consulate’s official Instagram account | |
Implementation of the Global Online Appointment System (GOAS) for passport services | |
2022 | Launch of the SFPCG Newsletter, the Consulate’s official monthly online newsletter |
2023 | Participation of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the 2023 APEC Economic Leaders Meeting, the largest international event in San Francisco since the 1945 conference that established the United Nations |
Recognition for the Consulate at the 2023 Startup Ecosystem Stars (SES) Awards in Paris, France | |
2024 | Launch of the Consulate’s official LinkedIn company page |
Launch of the Consulate’s 24/7 AI chat assistant |
Mandate
The Consulate is guided by the country’s national development goals and objectives. The Philippines’ independent foreign policy is anchored on the following pillars:
- Preservation and enhancement of national security
- Promotion and attainment of economic security
- Protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare and interest of Filipino citizens overseas
From consular services such as Philippine passport issuance, civil registration and notarials, to Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) services for distressed Filipino citizens, the Consulate’s services have expanded over the years. It now includes the implementation of the Philippine Citizenship Reacquisition and Retention Act, more commonly known as “dual citizenship,” and the Overseas Absentee Voting Act, which allows qualified Filipino nationals to vote in Philippine elections.
The Consuls General
The first Philippine Consul General in San Francisco was ROBERTO REGALA. It was on 4 July 1946 that the Philippines, as an independent sovereign state, established formal diplomatic relations with the United States.
The following is a list of Philippine Consuls General in San Francisco:
Hon. JOSE IMPERIAL (no date available)
Hon. MARIANO ESPELETA (1950-1953)
Hon. BENIGNO PIDLAON (1953-1954)
Hon. NICANOR ROXAS (1954-1959)
Hon. SOFRONIO ABRERA (1960-1963)
Hon. JOSE MORENO (1963-1965)
Hon. RENATO URQUIOLA (1965-1968)
Hon. SAMSON SABALLONES (1968-1970)
Hon. CARLOS FAUSTINO (1970-1972)
Hon. TRINIDAD ALCONCEL (1972-1976)
Hon. ROMEO ARGUELLES (1976-1986)
Hon. VIRGILIO NANAGAS (1986-1989)
Hon. ROSALINDA TIRONA (1989-1990)
Hon. ALFREDO ALMENDRALA JR. (1990-1995)
Hon. TERESITA MARZAN (1995-1998)
Hon. AMADO CORTEZ (1999-2001)
Hon. DELIA MENEZ ROSAL (2001-2004)
Hon. MARIA ROWENA MENDOZA SANCHEZ (2004-2007)
Hon. MARCIANO PAYNOR JR. (2007-2014)
Hon. HENRY BENSURTO JR. (2014-2020)
Hon. NEIL FRANK FERRER (2021-present)
HON. NEIL FRANK R. FERRER assumed his post as Philippine Consul General in San Francisco in January 2021
Officers of the Consulate
Deputy Consul General Maria Paz Cortes
[email protected]
Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil
Head of the Economic Section
[email protected]
Vice Consul Adrian Baccay
Head of the Cultural, Community and Public Information Section
cultural@pcgsanfrancisco.org
Vice Consul Hannah Go
Head of the Assistance to Nationals Section
[email protected]
Vice Consul Glaiza Quarteros
Head of the Political Section
[email protected]