25 Reasons Why NYC is the Best City in the World to Raise Kids

This is the best city in the world. We all know it. But let’s say you’re trying to decide where to raise children. Suddenly, you find yourself spending less time thinking about impossible-to-get-into restaurants and ironic clubs with cocktails made by fantastically mustachioed barkeeps and more time thinking about…the suburbs. Not so fast! New York City is truly the best city in the world for families—and our list proves it! Below, you'll find 25 reasons why raising kids in NYC rocks, from our top-notch kids' menus to our awesome museums, parks and family attractions. Plus, there's nothing as cool as your kids being able to say that they grew up in the best city in the world. READ MORE

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Office Hours - Consular, Legal Services & Fees at Philippine Consulate General New York

Text photos above are actual notifications posted at the PH Consulate NY office wall

The Consulate General of the Republic of the Philippines - New York
Address: 556 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10036

Telephone: (212) 764-1330

Fax No.: (212) 764-6010

Duty Officer-Mobile Phone: (917) 294-0196 - For Emergencies only

e-Mail: phcongen.newyork@gmail.com

The Consular and Legal Section is open to the public Monday through Friday, except on selected Philippine and American Holidays. 

Office Hours: Mon to Fri: 9:00am - 5:00pm (open during lunch hour) 

Passport Renewal: Acceptance of applications: 9:00am-4:00pm

Requirements:

1. Actual old passport
2. Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-issued birth certificate, original and photocopy (Copies may be ordered online via www.ecensus.com.ph) 
3. Proof that applicant has not applied for foreign citizenship (i.e. valid green card, valid visa, dual citizenship certificate, etc).

Releasing: 1:30pm-4:00pm

Release of Passports - 8 weeks from date of application

• proceed to the Releasing section at the Basement
• Open from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon, and from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
• Personal Pick-up - present Reminder Slip and your current passport
• Pick-up by Representative - present Reminder Slip, current passport, Signed Letter of Authority and photo-ID of Representative

Legal Services:

Documents may be processed by mail or in person
 • Documents submitted between 9 AM & 4pm - ready for release from 4 PM to 5pm on the same day
 • Documents submitted between 12 Noon & 5 PM - ready for release from 4 PM to 5pm on the following business day
 NOTE: : Walk-in applicants have the option to submit self-addressed envelopes (with pre-paid postage) to receive finished documents by mail

Civil Registry (report of birth, marriage and death, correction of civil registry documents). Acceptance of application: 9:00am-12:00nn. Releasing: 3:00pm

Dual Citizenship: Acceptance of applications: 9:00am-12:00nn. Releasing and Oath-taking: 3:00pm

Pre-Processing by Mail is highly encouraged 
 • Seminar and formal Oath-taking held everyday at the Philippine Consulate
 Walk-in applicants may avail of the single session offered daily  
 • Applications filed and processed in the morning between 9 AM & 12 Noon will be scheduled for oath-taking and release of documents at 3 PM of the same day. 
 • Applications filed and processed after 1 PM will be accepted but will be scheduled for oathtaking the following business day at 3 PM or any working day convenient to the applicant.  Documents will be released on the day of the applicant's oathtaking. 

Visa applications:

• Received between 9 AM & 12 PM will be ready for release from 3 PM to 5 PM on the same day*
• Received between 1 PM & 4 PM will be ready for release from 4 PM until 5 PM of the following business day*
 * For most Temporary Visitor's Visa applications. Some applications may require clearance and can only be released at a much later date.

Send an email for specific sections of the Consulate:

•   Philippine Passport: passport@newyorkpcg.org
•   Passport Releasing - passport.releasing@newyorkpcg.org
•   Consularization & Legalization legal@newyorkpcg.org
•   Civil Registration - civilregistry@newyorkpcg.org
•   Philippine Visa: visa@newyorkpcg.org
•   Dual Citizenship: dualsection@newyorkpcg.org
•   Assistance to Nationals - atn@newyorkpcg.org

During Regular Office hours, call (212) 764-1330 followed by the appropriate extension;

•   Passport Releasing Section - 317
•   Passport General Queries - 305 or 302
•   Legal General Inquiries - 321 or 320
•   Legal (mailed-in documents) - 304
•   Visa - 322
•   Dual Citizenship - 318
•   General Matters - 306

NOTE:  Please leave a message with your complete contact information.  We will return your call in due course.

• Text the Duty Officer at: (917) 294-0196
• Weekends/Official Holidays, call or text the Duty Officer at: (917) 294-0196

The Philippine Consulate General New York will be closed on the following 2017 holidays:

2 January 2017 - New Year's Day (US Holiday)

16 January 2017 - Martin Luther King's Day (US Holiday)

20 February 2017 - President's Day (US Holiday)

13 April 2017 - Maundy Thursday (PH Holiday)

14 April 2017 - Good Friday (PH Holiday)

1 May 2017 - Labor Day (PH Holiday)

29 May 2017 - Memorial Day (US Holiday)

12 June 2017 - Independence Day (PH Holiday)

TBD June 2017 - Eid ul Fitr (PH Holiday)

4 July 2017 - Independence Day (US Holiday)

21 August 2017 - Ninoy Aquino Day (PH Holiday)

28 August 2017 - National Heroes Day (PH Holiday)

TBD September 2017 - Eid Adha (PH Holiday)

4 September 2017 - Labor Day (US Holiday)

9 October 2017 - Columbus Day (US Holiday)

1 November 2017 - All Saint's Day (PH Holiday)

10 November 2017 - Veterans Day (US Holiday)

23 November 2017 - Thanksgiving Day (US Holiday)

30 November 2017 - Bonifacio Day (PH Holiday)

25 December 2017 - Christmas Day (PH/US Day)

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Philippines Upgraded to Investment Grade BBB- with Stable Outlook

On Thursday May 2, 2013, New York-based Standard & Poor’s (S&P) awarded the second investment-grade rating to the Philippines sovereign credit rating to “BBB-” from “BB+” and gave it a stable outlook, citing the country’s “strengthening external profile, moderating inflation and the government’s declining reliance on foreign currency debt.”

Fitch Ratings-Hong Kong-27 March 2013: Fitch Ratings upgraded the Philippines' Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to 'BBB-' from 'BB+'. The Long-Term Local-Currency IDR has been upgraded to 'BBB' from 'BBB-'. The Outlooks on both ratings are Stable. The agency has also upgraded the Country Ceiling to 'BBB' from 'BBB-' and the Short-Term Foreign-Currency IDR to 'F3' from 'B'.

Citing the country’s strong economic fundamentals and better public fund management, the S&P stated that the upgrade reflects the country’s strengthening external profile, moderating inflation, and government’s declining reliance on foreign currency debt. The Philippines, it said, was boosted by an improved and fairly stable environment, helped partly by currency appreciation. It expected remittance inflows from foreign and overseas Filipino workers, along with a booming Business Process Outsourcing industry to keep the current account in surplus over the next several years. An investment grade is a seal of good housekeeping. It tells investors it is safe to do business in the Philippines, encouraging them to put huge capital in the country.

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PAL Flights New York to Philippines to Start Soon!

Philippine flag carrier PAL (Philippine Airline) will soon be able to schedule flights to New York/PHL once the United States Federal Aviation Administration lifts its ban on additional flights from the Philippines.

The ban comes after the US FAA downgraded the country's standing as a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization, placing the Philippines in Category 2 or unsafe status.

After a five-day audit early this year, ICAO found out that the country managed to address and resolved its safety concerns, seen to bring the Philippines back to Category 1 status.

"With the lifting of the US FAA sanction, we can go to New York already," PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon Ang said.

Ang said that according to a meeting of civil aviation authorities in Brussels, Belgium, the 27-nation European Union, which also imposed a similar sanction, is likely to lift its own three-year ban on Philippine air carriers "within the year." 

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