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New Philippine consul in Dubai

DUBAI — Vicente Vivencio Bandillo is the new Consul-General of the Philippines. He took over the post at the Philippine Consulate-General following the end of Consul-General Generoso Calonge's tour of duty in the UAE.

Bandillo, who was previously assigned at the Philippines Consulate in Hamburg, Germany, said he saw his new task as very challenging.

Compared to Hamburg, where there were only 200 Filipinos, Dubai boasts of having 80 per cent of the 200,000 documented Filipino population in UAE. "The sheer number of Filipinos here is an indication that there are lots of works to be done and concerns to be attended to."

As it is, the Philippines Consulate-General is undermanned but, according to Bandillo, Manila will send four additional staff to help in carrying out the consulate's various duties.

"Our main mission boils down to improving our services. The four additional personnel may not be sufficient considering the number of Filipinos that we are serving here but it is a good sign that Manila recognises the importance of this consulate in Dubai," the new consul-general said.