LIHUE — On Kauai, the Filipino community is large, about 24,000, according to Andrea Caymo, the vice consul of the Philippine General Consulate on Oahu.
That’s why the consulate hosted one of two yearly mobile events for Kauai this weekend at the county’s Moikeha Building.
The outreach assisted Philippine nationals with obtaining passports, visas and registering birth certificates.
Those interested in voting in the upcoming Philippine election were also able to register for absentee ballots.
“This type of service is really relevant considering the number of Filipinos that live here on the island,” Caymo said.
About 200 people showed up for the event, which is the normal turnout when the consulate hosts outreaches on the Neighbor Islands, she said.
The mobile service is useful because people don’t have to travel to Honolulu to obtain documents they need, she said.
“It saves them not only time, but also money for airfare, for hotel accommodations, for ground transportation. Instead of them paying for those expenses, we come here to help them save money,” Caymo said.
For anyone who missed the event, the consulate’s website is a wealth of information.
“We also have a Facebook page where we post information about the requirements and our events,” Caymo said.
Those needing assistance may also give the consulate a call to learn about services it offers.
In addition to helping with visas and passports, the consulate can also help with notarizing documents and reporting births.
“If they had a baby here on the island and they wanted to report that in the Philippines, so the child will have a birth certificate in the Philippines, they can do that through the consulate as well,” Caymo said.
The consulate also has the authority to marry Filipino residents who want their marriages to be recognized by the Philippine government, she said.
The mobile outreach events are hosted twice per year on Kauai and Maui and in Hilo, once per year in Kona, and once every three years on Molokai or Lanai, Caymo said.
There’s no specific date for the next event on Kauai, but Caymo said it will most likely be in the first quarter of 2019.
Because these events can get busy, Caymo said those wishing to participate in the next one should make appointments online.
The mobile outreaches, which have been held for about eight years, are possible with the help of their partners on Kauai, Caymo said.
“We are very grateful to our partners for helping to organize this, we are grateful to the County of Kauai as well as the Kauai Filipino Community Council. They are the ones who have been helping us make this outreach possible throughout the years,” she said.
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Bethany Freudenthal, crime, courts and county reporter, can be reached at 652-7891 or bfreudenthal@thegardenisland.com.
