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    Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by Representative CARLITO "Lito" S. MARQUEZ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to establish a regular Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Consular 
Office to be located in the Municipality of Kalibo, Province of Aklan.  
The role of our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) cannot be emphasized enough. 
From our experience in the 2008 Global Financial Crisis,  the Philippine state economy 
had been kept afloat because of the significant inflow of economic remittances provided 
for by our OFWs.   
According to the 2020 estimate of the Philippine Statistics Authority, Western 
Visayas contributes a 9.7% of the country's OFW chunk. It comes next after 
CALABARZON (18.5%) and Central Luzon (11.8%) being the first in the lead. However, it 
seems that despite the significant number, there are only two established DFA Consular 
offices in the Western Visayas Region —one in Iloilo City, Iloilo and another in Bacolod 
City, Negros Occidental.  
Because of the limited number of DFA consular offices available in the region, it 
has been difficult for the residents from adjacent provinces, such as those from my home 
province in Aklan, to avail consular services that of the DFA. Consular services including 
issuance of passports, apostille certification, Philippine visa endorsement, and other 
related services are often flocked for by Aklanons for travel and identification purposes. 
In effect, thousands of our constituents would need to spend so much time and travel long 
distances to avail them.  
To narrow this particular gap, it is high time that we appropriately establish a DFA 
office in the Province of Aklan. It would significantly improve public service delivery and 
efficiency not only in our province, but also in our region.   
Immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
ENGR. CARLITO “Lito ” S. MARQUEZ 
August 22, 2022
2:41 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
 HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by Representative CARLITO "Lito" S. MARQUEZ 
AN ACT  
ESTABLISHING A REGULAR DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
OFFICE (DFA) CONSULAR OFFICE IN AKLAN, APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES  
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. — This Act shall be known as the "Establishment of Regular 
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Department of Foreign Affairs' Consular Office in the Province of Aklan, particularly in 
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Kalibo, Aklan". 
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Sec 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is the policy of the State to promote social justice 
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in all phases of development. Social justice includes social opportunity and that this 
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opportunity be made available to all citizens of the Philippines.  
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Sec 3. Establishment of the Consular Office. — There shall be established a regular 
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Department of Foreign Affairs' Consular Office in the Province of Aklan, particularly in 
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Kalibo, Aklan.  
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Sec 4. Nature of the Consular Office. — The consular office sought to be 
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established through this bill is a regular office and not a satellite office.  
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Sec 5. Functions. — The regular consular office sought to be established shall 
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perform functions the same as those which are being performed by the existing regular 
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consular offices of the Department of Foreign Affairs.  
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Sec 6. Appropriations. — Funding for this Act shall be included in the General 
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Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment and so forth.  
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Sec. 7. Separability Clause. — If, for any reason, any provision of this Act is 
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declared unconstitutional or invalid, other provisions hereof which are not affected 
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thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.  
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Sec. 8. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamation and 
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administrative regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed or 
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modified accordingly.  
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Sec. 9. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
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in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
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Approved,