PRESS RELEASE
PR-010-2022
(17 January 2023, Singapore) – The Philippine Embassy in Singapore, in collaboration with lawyers from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) – Quezon City Chapter, organized a legal aid clinic on Sunday, 15 January 2023. The activity was the first face-to-face legal clinic hosted by the Philippine Embassy since 2019.
Thirteen (13) officers and members of the IBP – Quezon City Chapter, led by the Chapter’s President and concurrent IBP Governor for Greater Manila Region, Atty. Marcelino Michael I. Atanante IV, flew to Singapore from Manila to provide free legal assistance services to kababayans in Singapore. They were joined by volunteer Singapore-based Filipino lawyers.
The IBP – Quezon City Chapter made a courtesy call on Chargé d’ Affaires (CDA) Emmanuel R. Fernandez, during which CDA Fernandez expressed his gratitude to Atty. Atanante and his colleagues for offering their pro-bono services to kababayans in Singapore. He assured the IBP contingent of the Philippine Embassy’s continued support of the activity as well as future collaborative projects between the two.
Before the one-on-one consultations, Atty. Atanante addressed the Embassy’s consular and labor clients, and introduced the IBP’s mandates and its services which may be availed of by OFWs.
A total of 28 Filipino residents in Singapore went to the Embassy’s temporary office at 111 Somerset Road to consult with the volunteer lawyers on their concerns related to Philippine criminal and civil laws, such as annulment, legal separation, family support and property/estate issues.
Personnel of the Philippine Embassy also received training from IBP – Quezon City Chapter on Philippine laws pertaining to civil matters. The training aims to build Embassy personnel’s knowledge on relevant Philippine laws so that they are better equipped to assist Filipino nationals who are in distress.
The holding of legal aid clinics is a regular program of the Embassy which are made possible through sustained partnership with organizations such as the IBP. END.
