15 April 2013 – The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has warned Filipinos in Sabah against dealing with agencies not accredited with the Embassy with regard to their passport and other consular requirements.

This was after it has come to the Embassy's attention that an agency called "Who's the Boss" and organization Sabah Philippine Overseas Workers Welfare Association (SPOWWA) have been dealing with Philippine passports, birth certificates and other consular services without clearance from the Embassy.

Last year, in an effort to improve consular services to Filipinos, the Embassy instituted the process of requiring accreditation of agencies that wish to conduct business with the Embassy on behalf of Filipinos applying for passports and other consular services.

Through the process of accreditation, the Embassy can provide Filipinos with a list of accredited agencies that have proven themselves to be credible and professional.

"The 'Who's the Boss' agency and SPOWWA are not accredited with the Embassy, and as such, they are not authorized to conduct consular services on behalf of Filipinos," Consul General Medardo Macaraig said.

The agency was asked to submit documents for accreditation, but it has failed to submit any document.

"We ask our nationals in Sabah to first check with the Embassy if an agent offering consular services to them has been authorized by us, otherwise, they take unnecessary risks, including their documents not being honored by the Philippine Government or Malaysian Government," he added.

For any inquiries regarding consular services or accreditation process, interested parties could contact the Embassy's consular section at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. END