IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
23 April 2003

In view of the continuing SARS outbreak, the Philippine Consulate General will maintain the following office hours until further notice:

                Monday to Friday
                8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Consulate will be closed on Saturdays, Sundays and official holidays (May 1 and May 8) during the whole month of May. Its emergency hotlines will continue to operate as usual on non-working days and after office hours.

As a further precautionary measure against SARS infection, the Philippine Consulate General will adopt the following schedule in respect of the following labor-related consular services effective Monday, 28 April 2003:

All other consular services (e.g., passport, visa and notarials) will be available between 0800 and 1500H. To avoid congestion and quicken queuing time, concerned applicants are enjoined to observe the above schedule as well as the following guidelines:
	All forms must be fully accomplished. Forms with incomplete information will not be accepted at the counters.
	Applicants are requested to prepare exact change when paying the required fees (e.g., HK$ 85.00 for contract verification and HK$32.00 for OECs).
	Persons not requiring consular services or with no official business to transact in the Consulate are requested not to come.
	Applicants with fever and/or respiratory ailments are requested to seek medical advice/treatment and refrain from visiting public places. Close contacts of SARS-infected persons are likewise enjoined to observe the guidelines prescribed by the HK Department of Health.
	Instead of visiting the Consulate in person, Filipino nationals with urgent inquiries may wish to call the following telephones numbers:   28238550 / 28238551 25461441 91020840 96671876 93327451 28238500 Contract-related inquiries Personal counseling by OWWA social worker Labor hotline SARS hotline ATN hotline for police or immigration cases Consulate Trunkline

6/F United Ctr, 95 Queensway, Admiralty, H.K.       Tel : 2823-8500 / 2823-8501     Fax :  2866-9885 / 2866-8559