The Embassy and the PSA teams processing applications for birth certificates, passports, and National IDs during the special consular missions to Sabah palm oil plantations

Kuala Lumpur, 29 May 2023 - The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has completed fourteen (14) Special Consular Missions to Sabah palm oil plantations since the implementation of the Sabah Government’s Regularization Program on 01 April 2019. 

These special consular missions were conducted in the following districts: (1) Lahad Datu on 08-17 June 2019; (2) Lahad Datu on 03-12 July 2019; (3) Sandakan on 01-10 August 2019; (4) Tawau on 16-22 August 2019; (5) Sandakan on 25 October -01 November 2019; (6) Sandakan on 04-10 November 2019; (7) Lahad Datu on 11-20 November 2019; (8) Tawau on 20-29 November 2019; (9) Tawau on 05-09 June 2022; (10) Sandakan on 21-30 August 2022; (11) Lahad Datu on 21-30 October 2022; (12) Sandakan on 19-28 November 2022; (13) Sandakan on 14-23 February 2023; and (14) Lahad Datu on 16-25 May 2023.

The special consular mission serves as a One-Stop Shop where undocumented Filipino workers and their dependents can apply for birth certificates, passports, and PhilSys National IDs.

The special consular missions were conducted by teams comprising of personnel from the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). More than fifty (50) plantation companies participated in at least one of these special consular missions.

Since the launch of the special consular missions in 2019, the teams thus far have registered the births of 21, 636 Filipino plantation workers and their dependents. The teams also processed 24,023 applications for Philippine passports and 7,074 applications for Philippine National IDs.  

 
 Some of the Filipino plantation workers in Sabah holding their PhilSys National IDs

As a result of the special consular missions, said Filipino nationals were able to regularize their employment status in Sabah palm oil plantations. Consequently, they became eligible to employment benefits based on international labor standards, including fair wages and safe working conditions.  These Filipino workers and their dependents now enjoy free housing, electricity, water supplies, and access to education and healthcare.  END