PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN PORTUGAL LAUNCHES CASHLESS TRANSACTIONS AS PART OF ITS EFFORTS TO PROVIDE QUALITY CONSULAR SERVICES
Lisbon, 04 May 2023 – On 03 May 2023, the Philippine Embassy in Portugal introduced a provision for cashless transactions through the use of a wireless point-of-sale (POS) terminal. This is part of the Philippine Embassy’s ongoing efforts to continuously improve the quality of the consular services it provides to the public.
In addition to paying with cash, consular clients conducting business at the Embassy's consular section can now use their Portuguese national debit cards to make payments.
The Embassy’s decision to implement cashless consular transactions as a payment option is consistent with the technology that is currently available and is designed to protect the integrity of payments.
No longer are consular clients required to carry exact amounts of cash, break large bills, or even leave the embassy to withdraw cash from ATMs or banks. The cashless payment option allows consular clients to choose the payment method that is most convenient for them.
Francisca Catherine Talaboc and Maria Teresa Flavier, both Filipino nationals, were the first consular clients to pay for the consularization of their respective documents using the Embassy's new cashless payment system.
Both clients expressed their appreciation to the Embassy personnel for their efficient delivery of consular services, especially the convenience of making cashless transactions. Attaché Judiel Rose Ilarina, the Embassy's Finance Officer, facilitated their POS payments.
In response to the Embassy’s new cashless transaction initiative, Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Celia Anna Feria said “The Philippine Embassy will not waver in its commitment to continue providing the general public with high-quality consular services. In addition to this, we will carry on with the process of reinventing our consular services by developing client-centered initiatives within the context of good governance.”
The use of electronic payments has increased significantly in Portugal in recent years and is growing and becoming as common as it is in the rest of Europe.
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