THE CONSULATE
History
The Philippine Consulate General was established immediately upon gaining Philippine Independence in 1946. The Consulate is guided by the country’s national development goals and objectives. The Department of Foreign Affairs core programs anchored on the three pillars of Philippine foreign policy, namely:
- Enhancement of national security;
- Utilization of development diplomacy to attain economic security; and
- Promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of the Filipino Overseas.
From the very basic consular service of passport renewal to Philippine nationals in Northern California, the service of the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco has expanded over the years. It now includes services like the efficient implementation of the Overseas Absentee Voting Act and the Philippine Citizenship Reacquisition and Retention Act of 2003, otherwise known as the Dual Citizenship Law.
The first Consul General of San Francisco PCG was Hon. ROBERTO REGALA. It was on July 4, 1946 that the Philippines as an independent state started its formal diplomatic relations with the United States.
Other official heads of the Philippine Consulate General were:
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 (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 S. BENSURTO, JR. (2014-2020)
Hon. NEIL FRANK R. FERRER (2021-present)
HON. NEIL FRANK R. FERRER assumed his post as the new Consul General in San Francisco in January 2021.