15 October 2021, The Hague —Aruba Minister of Labor, Integration and Energy Glenbert F. Croes cited the significant contributions of Filipinos in Aruba and gave assurances on their well-being.
“We are going to ensure the well-being of the Filipino community who adopt our country and make it their home,” Minister Croes told Consul Marianne Bringas and Consul ad honorem in Aruba Ami Henriquez-Mendez during a call on the Minister on 11 October 2021 at the Cocolishi Aruba Government Building.
Consul Bringas and four other staff members from the Philippine Embassy in The Hague were in Aruba for a consular outreach and voters registration drive on 8-11 October 2021.
Aruba is home to some 5,000 Filipinos who work mostly in the tourism, hospitality and healthcare sectors.
Among the concerns of migrants pertain to work and residence permits, health insurance, pension, and education for children.
Consuls Bringas and Henriquez-Mendez also called on Minister of Justice and Social Affairs Rocco G. TJon who said that the members of the Filipino community are law-abiding, trustworthy and rarely have issues with the law.
“As the former Director of the Department of Correction in Aruba, I can say that we have had no problems with Filipinos,” Tjon added.
Aruba officials cited the Filipinos as valuable members of the Aruba society as they are hardworking and competent.
During the four-day consular outreach mission, the team rendered over 500 consular services, including 267 passport applications/renewals, 228 overseas voting registrations, and numerous assistance-to-nationals (ATN) and related services. Filipinos from Curaçao and Sint Maarten also came in and availed of the Embassy’s services. The activities were conducted in coordination with Consul Henriquez-Mendez.
The consular team hosted on October 10 a Town Hall-type meeting with the leaders and members of the Filipino community groups. During the meeting, certificates of appreciation were awarded to Consul Henriquez-Mendez, the United Filipino Community in Aruba (UFCA) headed by Mr. Vener Olivar, and the Filipino Community in Aruba (FCA) headed by Ms. Lina Asaytuno for their valuable assistance in facilitating the outreach mission.
The community members conveyed their deep appreciation to Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya for sending the consular mission notwithstanding the pandemic in order to address the consular and other needs of Filipinos in Aruba and the Dutch Caribbean.
Consul Bringas also met with Minister of Health and Tourism Danguillame P. Oduber and Foreign Affairs Director Edwin Abath who welcomed the team upon their arrival in Aruba.
The other members of the consular mission were Atty Edgar Guibone, Ms. Marifi Guibone, Mr. Hy-noon Galabay and Mr. Rodelio Asis. END
