Second Series of Special Consular Missions to Sabah Palm Oil Plantations Kicks Off

Kuala Lumpur, 01 December 2022 - The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia kicked off its second series of Special Consular Missions to the palm oil plantations on 19-28 November 2022 at Kretam Bode Estate, Sandakan, Sabah.

The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) conducted the special consular missions to facilitate the issuance of birth certificates, passports, and Philippine National IDs to undocumented Filipinos in Sabah to regularize their employment status in the palm oil plantations.

In a 10-day joint operation, the team successfully registered the births of 1,747 Filipino plantation workers and their dependents. The team also processed 1,888 applications for Philippine passports and 1,471 applications for Philippine National IDs.

Said operation brings the total number of birth registrants in special consular missions for the year 2022 to more than 5,800. The total number of Philippine passport and national ID applications  processed in special consular missions for 2022 also reached more than 6,400 and 4,100, respectively.

The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) joined the Special Consular Mission to discuss the verification of employment contracts and to promote POLO-OWWA programs with the management of nine (9) palm oil plantation companies in Sandakan, Sabah.

The Embassy is making arrangements for the conduct of another special consular mission to Sandakan and Lahad Datu, Sabah, to complete its second series of special consular missions in the first half of the year 2023. END