DFA: 19 Pinoys in New Zealand reacquire Filipino citizenship

Nineteen Filipinos who settled in New Zealand reacquired their Filipino citizenship on the 150th birth anniversary of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal on June 19. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday the oath-taking of the 19 people highlighted the Philippine Embassy's commemoration of Rizal's birth anniversary. In a news release, the DFA said the 19 Filipinos listened to an address by Charge d'Affaired Giovanni Palec before taking their oath. According to the DFA, the oath-taking took place at the Philippine Honorary Consulate General's premises in Auckland. Following the oath-taking, Palec and Consul General A.H. Shi and Cultural Attache Lisa Estalilla attended a memorial service for Filipinos who died in recent natural calamities, including an earthquake in Christchurch. A photo on the DFA news release showed Palec and members of the victims' families releasing white balloons into the air. - VVP, GMA News