DFA suspends consular office work in Albay due to Ulysses

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Consular Office in Legazpi, Albay is closed on Wednesday due to inclement weather caused by severe tropical storm Ulysses.

In an advisory on Tuesday night, DFA said the consular office was ordered closed in accordance with the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (DRRM/CCAM) Council Advisory No. 25 Series of 2020 of the City of Legazpi.

“The Legazpi Consular Office will resume its regular operations on Thursday, 12 November 2020, unless otherwise advised,” the advisory read.

DFA said applicants affected by the suspension of operations should secure a new appointment by sending an email to CO Legazpi at [email protected]. The department added that the email should contain information on the applicants’ names, date of birth, original appointment date and time, and preferred date and time of new appointment.

The new appointment may be scheduled from Monday to Friday, starting November 12 to December 11, during regular operation hours of the consular office from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Applicants who need an urgent or emergency consular service may also contact CO Legazpi through email, according to DFA.

Based on the severe weather bulletin issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) at 8 a.m., severe tropical storm Ulysses is forecast to intensify into a typhoon in the next six to 12 hours and may reach its peak intensity prior to landfall.

The province of Albay is placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 based on the latest bulletin of Pagasa. The weather bureau warned that areas under TCWS No. 2 will experience “damaging gale-force to storm-force winds” throughout the passage of “Ulysses.” — Miggy Dumlao, trainee

EDV