Here is a copy of the email I just received for Cebu (I made the important part bold. The Manila Embassy email said it is also closing but reopening normal operation 3 October) U.S. Embassy, Manila, Philippines Message for U.S. Citizens: Consular Agency in Cebu - Closure and Limited Services until further notice September 27, 2016 THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES IS TRANSMITTING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION THROUGH THE EMBASSY WARDEN SYSTEM AS A PUBLIC SERVICE TO AMERICAN CITIZENS IN THE PHILIPPINES. PLEASE DISSEMINATE THIS MESSAGE TO ALL U.S. CITIZENS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION OR NEIGHBORHOOD. The U.S. Consular Agency office in Cebu will be closed to the public on September 28, 2016. On September 29 and 30 the U.S. Consular Agency office in Cebu will not offer Passport, Notary and CRBA services. However, the Agency will remain open for inquiries and emergency assistance. Beginning October 3, 2016 all services for walk-in customers are suspended in Cebu until further notice. On September 29 and 30 the Consular Agency office in Cebu will be able to assist with the following during regular hours for walk-in customers: · Routine Inquiries (walk-in, phone and email) · Voting Assistance · Providing Forms and Information Pamphlets · CRODA (Consular Report of Death Abroad) Acceptance · Emergency Assistance Routine paid services such as notaries, legal capacity certificates, passports and Consular Report of Birth Abroad will NOT be available on these days. If you need to contact the Cebu office on September 29 or 30, you may call (63 32) 231-1261. To send a fax, dial (63 32) 231-0174. Alternatively, you may contact the U.S. Embassy by email at ACSInfoManila@state.gov. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ For further information: · See the State Department's travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and the Philippines Country Specific Information. · Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. · Contact the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines, located at 1201 Roxas Boulevard, at +(63) (2) 301-2000, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +(63) (2) 301-2000. · Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
Its sad that they keep going through these huge gaps in services being shut down in Cebu at the US Consulate office. It majorly sucks to have to go to Manila to do anything at all. From the past it usually seems these gaps last 3 months or so but will have to see. Wouldn't surprise me if they stayed shut down much longer this time.
Was anyone else called a "son of a wh*re" lately? Maybe they are wanting to reduce their footprint in the Philippines in case things go south quickly. Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
Thanks for the warning. I just marked an LZ in my front yard for the US Marines chopper to pick us us. I guess the rest of you will become boat people.
I doubt its anything to do with being ready to pull out of the Philippines. The Cebu US consulate has done this before last time being when I needed to renew my passport a bit less then a year ago. I had to wait about 2-3 months for it to resume such services which I waited for hoping I could skip Manila and I got lucky when they resumed services. My guess is they are having problems staffing it along with securing it amid all the security concerns around the world. Could be part of a political game of a sort as well. When it will be fixed is something even the mighty 8Ball can't predict.
