PHL Embassy in Singapore bares new workweek schedule starting March 17



Starting March 17, the Philippine Embassy in Singapore will adopt a new workweek schedule where it will cease Sunday operations and revert to its Monday-to-Friday setup.

In an announcement on its website, the embassy said this is part of its efforts to upgrade its services and to facilitate the conduct of the Overseas Absentee Voting in April and May this year.

“Consular service hours have been revised so that applicants can submit and collect documents throughout office hours, without lunch break. The Embassy has instituted online appointment systems for key services, particularly for the issuance of passports and Overseas Employment Certificates (OEC), in which the applicant can choose a specific date and time that is most convenient to him or her,” it said.

The embassy added that it is ready to devote Sundays to more initiatives that will promote the welfare of Filipinos in Singapore.

It plans to focus its weekend operations to livelihood and entrepreneurial skills training and supporting the usual Filipino community social and cultural events.

This is in line with the start this year of the Singaporean government’s policy of requiring a weekly day-off for household service workers.

Meanwhile, the embassy advised applicants to apply for their passport renewal in advance, such as around nine to 12 months before expiration of validity or earlier, if a longer validity is required for work pass renewal or when their passports only have a few remaining blank pages.

“We also encourage our OFWs to avail of multiple-entry OECs in order to avoid having to make repeated visits to the Embassy,” it said. - VVP, GMA News

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