Visa applicants affected by closure of US Embassy may reschedule appointments

Published August 10, 2012 8:40am

The United States Embassy in Manila said applicants whose visa appointments were affected by this week’s weather can re-chedule their appointments by visiting Embassy Manila’s Visa Information and Appointment Service online. In a news release, the Embassy said applicants may visit: http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph or or call (632) 982-5555 or (632) 902-8930. The visa call center is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Manila time), except on US and Philippine holidays. The embassy said applicants must have the case number, passport number, and passport expiry date for each applicant (principal applicant and derivative family members) ready when requesting a visa appointment. Callers in the US should call (214) 571-1600, from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time).

Reopening of the embassy After days of heavy rain and floods forced the temporary closure of the United States Embassy in Manila since Tuesday, it resumed operations on Friday.

On its official Facebook account, the US Embassy said, "The Consular Section will open at 7:30am, and all other Embassy sections will open at 10:00am.” On Twitter, it said, "The US Embassy and its affiliated services will be open Friday, August 10th."

The embassy was forced to suspend operations from Tuesday to Thursday due to heavy rain that brought floods to Metro Manila and nearby areas.

The embassy initially said it would reopen on Thursday but continued bad weather late Wednesday forced it to suspend its operations for Thursday.

Devastating calamity

Some parts of Metro Manila remained flooded Friday because of the heavy rain brought about by an enhanced southwest monsoon, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said. The bad weather was further worsened by China-bound tropical cyclone Haikui that enhanced the rainfall.

Despite the continued rains MMDA General Manager Corazon Jimenez said most major roads in the metropolis, including the Lagusnilad in Manila, are now passable.

On its 8:00 p.m. update on Thursday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the death toll was at 49 and that most of the deaths were due to drowning. The NDRRMC said 460,273 families (or 2,110,871 people) in 1,611 villages in 16 provinces have been displaced or otherwise affected by the monsoon rains.

Of these, 66,577 families (or 314,795 people) are being served in 630 evacuation centers.

Six people have been reported missing.

At least 366 houses were destroyed while 2,750 were damaged.

About 80 cities and towns in Metro Manila, Ilocos, and Central and Southern Luzon experienced severe flooding. - Andrei Medina, VVP, GMA News

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