DFA: 3 new foreign service posts to open by 2027

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday said three new foreign service posts will be opened by 2027 to strengthen foreign relations and the protection of Filipinos abroad.

During the House budget hearing, DFA Assistant Secretary Emil Fernandez said offices in Accra, Ghana and Astana, Kazakhstan will be launched later this year, while the foreign service post in Miami, Florida will be operational in 2027.

In April, the FA opened an office in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.

Foreign service posts are official government establishments abroad that represent a country's interest and assist its citizens in foreign nations.

These include embassies, consulates general, and permanent missions.

According to the DFA, the opening of the foreign service post in Ho Chi Minh City will strengthen the Philippines' economic relations with Vietnam, where there are 1,800 Filipinos.

It added that the Accra office will strengthen the Philippines' ties in the Western Africa region, as it covers seven countries where there are 1,586 Filipinos.

The foreign service post in Astana will cover 5,000 Filipinos in Kazakhstan and 6,500 more across Central Asia.

Meanwhile, the foreign service post in Miami will cover 200,334 Filipinos in Florida (190,000 Filipinos), the Caribbean (9,000), and Bermuda (1,334).

By 2027, the DFA said, there will be 105 Philippine embassies, missions, and consulate generals. — BM, GMA News