Filipino community members show their solidarity at Seattle’s Hing Hay Park on Nov 30, 2025, as they demand action for the promised Philippine Consulate. (Photo by Susan Lee Woo)
Filipino activists took to the streets on Bonifacio Day, Nov. 30, demanding accountability for the Philippine government’s failure to open a consulate in Washington state. The protest, organized by BAYAN WA, Malaya Movement, and Kabataan Alliance, started at Jose Rizal Park and ended at Hing Hay Park in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District.
Photo by Susan Lee Woo
Filipinos in Washington state, around 180,000 strong, have been without a local consulate since Seattle’s closed in 1993. Many must travel to San Francisco for consular services, a costly and time-consuming trip. While the Philippine government promised to open a new consulate, the project remains stalled.
In 2022, NAFCON led a petition demanding a permanent consulate. Despite $14 million being allocated in the 2024 budget to open the consulate by 2025, protesters are fed up with the delays. They also criticized the Department of Foreign Affairs for focusing more on international meetings than the needs of overseas Filipinos.
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