The Philippine Consulate General in Sydney is conducting forums with Filipino communities across New South Wales to promote the Dual Citizenship program, which allows Filipino-Australians to regain their Philippine citizenship without affecting their Australian citizenship.

Since Dual Citizenship was introduced in 2003, approximately 2,500 Filipino-Australians have chosen to re-acquire their Philippine citizenship.

 “Many former Filipinos desire to regain their Philippine citizenship, but only need the opportunity to go about it. The Consulate wants to help make dual citizenship accessible to former Filipinos, who are spread across the state, by undertaking mobile consular missions to cities and towns where there is a concentration of Filipino-Australians,” said Consul General Betita.

The Consulate is also rallying Philippine dual citizens, as well as Filipinos working in New South Wales, to register as overseas absentee voters (OAV) for the Philippine Presidential elections in May 2010. “The registration of OAVs ends on 31 August 2009, and we are trying to reach out to as many Filipinos as possible who want to exercise their right to choose their next leader. For this reason, the Consulate conducts Filipino OAV registration wherever we confer dual citizenship,” the Consul General said.

Any Filipino-Australian association or group of Filipino-Australians can request the Consulate to hold a dual citizenship and OAV forum in their area by contacting the Philippine Consulate on telephone 02 9262 7377 or via email at contact@philippineconsulate.com.au.