I.

Introduction
Company Firm and profile
Company Name:

Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Philippine Representativ

Office in Taiwan)

Company Address:

11F, No. 176 Chang Chun Road Chung Shan District Taipei 104,
Taiwan

Telephone Number :

(886) 2-2508-1719

Fax Number :

(886) 2-2508-4045

Positions Taken / Practice Areas:

Information Secion
Passporting Section (Passporting Law) (Citizenship Law)
Visa Section
Consular Office
Assistance To National
Legal Office (Legal Documents)
Department of Trade ( Philippine Foreign Service Act of 1991)
Tourism Affairs (Tourism 1991)
Labor Office

Chairman of The Board: Board of Directors

President Representative: Ambassador Antonio I. Basilio
Deputy Representative: Attorney L. Aquino

Nature or Dynamics of the Company/Office/Firm

The Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), exercising

delegated functions, is the Philippines representative office in Taiwan.
It was established in 1975 and is organized as a non-profit and nonstock private corporation under Philippine law.
MECO promotes trade, investments, tourism, labor, scientific and
cultural cooperation with Taiwan, provides assistance to Filipinos in
Taiwan

and

provides

visas,

legal

and

consular

services.MECO

coordinates with Philippine government agencies and the private

sector to fulfill this mandate .
On 05 june 1975, the Government of the Philippines recognized
the People's Repubulicc of China as the sole legitimate government of
China, ending formal diplomatic retations with Taiwan. The Philippine
Embassy in Taiwan ceased to exist and, in lieu thereof, the far East
Trade promotion Center. which later became the Asian Exchange
Center, Inc., a non-stock, non-profit organization, acted as the
Philippine representative office in Taiwan to maintain friendly peopleto-people retafrons between the two neighbors. On 01 January 1993,
the Asian Exchange Center, Inc. was formally transformed to the
Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) as a non-profit entity, duly
incorporated under the laws of the Philippines. Since that time, MECO
has served as the unofficial link between the Philippines and Taiwan. It
has offices in Makati City, Philippines and Taipei City with extension
offices in Kaohsiung City and Taichung C'rty in Taiwan. All the powers
and functions of MECO are exercised by its Board of Directors
composed of seven (7) members. It is headed by its chairman who is
overall in charge of the operation of the organization and vicechairman who acts as its Managing Director and, concurrently, the
Resident Representative of the Philippines in Taiwan. Beginning in

2003, each Director was assigned oversight responsibifity based on

functional areas of MECO activities and by geographic coverage. Of the
original five members of the Board who assumed their position in
February 2001, three remain. The present complement of MECO
consists of eight officers with DFAossimilated rank and 25 rank-and- file
or

total

of

33

Taiwan

personnel

excluding

the

Resident

Representative.
MECO, as the duly designated instrumentality to promote and
protect Philippine interests in Taiwan, has been authorized and
conferred with authority to perform functions usually carried out by
Philippine foreign missions but of a non-political, non-security nature.
It performs consular functions and is tasked with the duty of protecting
and promoting the well being of Philippine nationals in Taiwan. It has
been authorized to assist in the formulation of a comprehensive action
plan in Taiwan and to act as the coordinator of all Philippine activities
concerning Taiwan.
Formulation and implementation of a program to attract and
promote

investments

from

Taiwan

to

Philippine

industries

and

businesses, especially in manufacturing, tourism, construction and

other preferred areas of investments;
Promotion of the export of Philippine products and Filipino
manpower services, including Philippine management services to
Taiwan;
Negotiation and/or assistance in the negotiation and conclusion
of agreements or other arrangements concerning trade, investment,
economic cooperation, technology transfer, banking and finance,
scientific, cultural, educational and other modes of cooperative
endeavors between the Philippines and Taiwan on a people-to-people
basis, in accordance to established rules and regulations;

Reporting on, and identification of, employment and business

opportunities in Taiwan for the promotion of Philippine exports,
manpower and management services, and tourism;
Dissemination in Taiwan of information on the Philippines,
especially in the fields of trade, tourism, labor, economic cooperation,
and cultural, educational and scientific endeavors;
Conduct periodic assesment of market conditions in Taiwan,
including the submission of trade statisticsand commercial reports for
use of Philippine industries and businesses; and
Facilitation, fostering and cultivation of cultural, sports, social
and educational exchanges between the people of the Philippines and
Taiwan.
The purpose of MECO is to assist Filipinos working here in Taiwan
, the organization is responsible for renewal of passports , applications
of Visas for Taiwanese and other nationals , re-acquisition of
citizenship, renunciations of Philippine Citizenship and other legal
documents. The deputy representative explained to me that it is one of
theyre job to compare the data of visa applicants ,whether or not they
are allowed to enter our country, the applicant must not have any
criminal records or any records or reports that can bring threat or
danger to the Philippines. M.E.C.O wants makes sure that the visa
applicant will not bring any burden to our country.Filipinos can enter
our country even without a passport providing enough proof that
he/she is a Filipino.
In addition , Executive Order No. 15 issued on 16 May 2001 by
president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ,

this order is to formulate and

implement programs to attract and promote investments from Taiwan

to Philippine industries and businesses , especially in manufacturing ,

tourism, construction and other areas of investments.
Promotion of the export of Philippine products and Filipino
manpower services , including Philippine management services , to
Taiwan. Negotiation and/or assistance in the negotiation and conclusion
of

agreements

or

other

arrangements,

concerning

trade,

investment,economic cooperation technology transfer, banking and

finance.
MECO is always looking for ways to ensure our Filipino workers
are treated fairly and their rights protected. One particularly effective
way we have found is to work with major multinationals in setting
standards for their suppliers working in tandem with Verite, an
independent non-profit organization monitoring nternational labo rights
abuses in off shore production sites.
Duration of the internship and the general nature of the position occupied by the
intern/s:

II. Internship Narrative

The purpose of having an internship is to give students the experience of
working ,it is often called On the Job Training which is applied mostly to College
Students like us , Legal Management students. It is a big help for a students like us to
know what it is like to work and apply our skills , to relate it to our College Course which
is Legal Management , in order for us to apply the skills that we have acquired in school
and also for us to learn new skills. Internship programs for students can be very useful
because it gives students the individual advantages which can benifit them in their future
careers. It is very important for schools to include Internship or OJT programs in their
curriculum ,because experience is very important for College students because soon they
will start searching for jobs that best fits their field or Graduated College courses. In this
way we will have the experience that we need for our future career. In our part , we are
Legal Management students from De La Salle Lipa and we are required to have our
Internship/Practicum/OJT during the summer , so because our course is a more related to

Law so what we need to do is to search for companies, like Law firms , Senate ,
Depertmane of Justice and any other law and government related Organizations.
I had my OJT here at MECO ( Manila Economic and Cultural Office) Taiwan , it
is a Philippine Representative Office here in Taiwan. Since Taiwan have no diplomatic
relation with our country, the Philippines , MECO is not under the Department Of
Foreign Affairs instead it is directly under the Malacanang and considered one of the best
foreign mission of the Philippines. A few weeks before I head to Taiwan I am already
preparing myself because I was already informed about the possible tasks. I need to be
ready because I will be facing consular officers and different lawyers and I know that I
need to interact and communicate properly , speak tagalog or English

clearly and

efficiently because I need them to have a good first impression about me and I am also
bringing the name of our school , De La Salle Lipa. I also no that I need to be presentable
, I have to wear office attire because I was informed that MECO is not just an ordinary
office and I must always look diplomatic they added.
I left the Philippines last April 15 at 10:10 in the evening from NAIA airport to
Taoyuan airport and I arrived in the morning of April 16th which is Thursday.
I started my internship the next day which is April 17 and a half-day schedule last
April 19 which is Sunday , because MECO have office hours on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of
the month .On my first day I was just asked to familiarize myself with the office , so was
I assigned to different counters to observe and familiarize myself , I was assigned to the
Information Office, Philippine e-Passport issuance, Consular Affairs , Legal Affairs and
Assistance to Nationals section.

During my first day I started meeting the deputy representative , Atty. Carlo
Aquino and he gave me a briefing about the organization , as of how they run the
operations and standard procedures in issuing visas to different nationals. I was given a
short briefing about the organization and during this day I started to get more excited and
I am really after the experience and I expect great learning while having my practicum. , I
can say that I still need to adapt with the office and have to improve a lot like. I must
learn and familiarize myself about the system of M.E.C.O and theyre primary purpose .
I still need to have an idea about the laws that MECO abides with. I still have enough
time in order to learn more while having my practicum that can help me in my future
career and apply the things I learned in school or in the field of Legal Management. He
told me that they have the right to deny visa applications. after evaluation, they see that a
certain applicant will not be a good visitor or tourist to enter our country, the Philippines.
I also learned that there are countries who may enter the Philippines even without a visa ,
but only for a stay not exceeding thirty(30) working days under Executive Order 408,
provided that these foreign nationals are holders of a passport valid at least six(6)
months , beyond period of stay in the Philippines and return or outward bound tickets to
country of destination or next country origin. There are also countries that falls into
different categories. If there are Memorandum Circular from the Department of foreign
affairs, there are also Immigration Memorandum Circulars from the bureau of
immigration. One of the things he told me is that MECO assist Filipinos here in Taiwan
and provide them with the help they need , this is only one of the purposes of MECO here
in Taiwan.

The Deputy Representative told me that I will be assigned to the different sections
of the organization and I will do that for 150 hours or more . The section are the , Legal
Office , Assistance to Nationals , Consular Office , Passporting section , Visa section ,
Department of Trade , Department of tourism and Labor office. I askes if there are any
laws they are following , yes the Citizenship law , Philippine Foreign Service act of 1991
and Tourism act of 2009, these are some of the laws used here at MECO. On my first day
I was just asked to familiarize myself with the office , so was I assigned to different
counters to observe and familiarize myself , I was assigned to the Information Office,
Philippine e-Passport issuance, Consular Affairs , Legal Affairs and Assistance to
Nationals section. Just like the deputy representative told me. I only observed at the
office during my first (1st) day.
WEEK 1
Since it was only my first (1st) day was really bored and I felt like a statue sitting
there and doing nothing. Literally, I was just observing everyone I can see all of them are
busy and I am doing totally nothing. I felt really uncomfortable, I was roaming around
the office due to boredom. I cant count how many times I had to go to the restroom, just
to break the boredom and to kill some time. I was already thinking that I flied all the way
to Taiwan to observe a office , there were regrets that time because I was thinking about
my classmates doing some serious stuffs while having their practicum at the Philippines.
At around 3:00 pm in the office , some staff asked me to give counter numbers to
applicants. I was really starting to be very disappointed because giving counter numbers
is very irrelevant to my course or to my field. I was already thinking what could happen
to me when I go back to the Philippines and report to our professor , I dont know how to

explain this nonsense work . I left the office at exactly 8:00 am , because I really wanted
to get out of the office , I was so bored and somehow pissed. I went back to our place in
Taiwan and complained to my parents but we did not really talked about it since I was
just starting my practicum during that time.
My second (2nd) day at the office was Sunday , because it was the 3 rd Sunday.
MECO have office hours during the 1 st and 3rd Sunday. I arrived at the office at 8:20 in
the morning and started my time in at 8:30 . I again was asked to give the numbers to
applicants , and again and during that time I am a bit disappointed. I did the task until
lunch break , I went out to have lunch and the others brought their own lunch and ate at
the office. I went back to the office at around 1:30 in the afternoon. I reported the Deputy
Representatives office , and at last he gave me a job which is to affix visa stickers .
Before I did this job , the Deputy Representative explained to me the background of
working at the visa section . He told me that the affixing of visa is one of the most
sensitive job in the office because before I affix the visa sticker , I must check or
evaluate the data of the applicant. MECO wants to make sure that the applicant will not
cause any burden to our country , the Philippines . So I have to evaluate it closely,
properly and precisely before affixing the visa sticker. I did that until 5:50 in the
afternoon and I left the office to at around 6:02 .
Since it was my first week in the office I also need to know the officials and staffs
of MECO so the Deputy introduced me to every officer and staff , I also met the head of
the Legal Office , Atty. Serge .They warmly welcomed me here in MECO and promised
they will guide me during my practicum. I got to admit ,since it was my first day and I
started out being uncomfortable and a little tense but as day goes on I got comfortable

because they treated me as one of theyre officemates and I did enjoy working here in the
office. Each day I work for eight and a half hours in the office starting from 8:30 am to
6:00 pm and had my lunch break at 12:00 post meridiem
I was given the chance to meet the high official of Manila Economic and Cultural
office , like the Deputy Head and Legal office Head. The board of director and the
Ambassador where still at MECO Manila during that time.
On my third day of internship I remember receiving nother a short lecture from
the deputy head and his time it is about the issuance of passport. MECO can only issue
passports to Filipino citizens , because based in the passportiing law Manila Economic
and Cultural Office cannot issue passports to a non-Filipino citizen. We cannot issue a
Philippine passport to other nationals and that is why we need to makes sure that a person
is a Filipino citizen.
Before I was assigned at the Legal office , I first stayed at the information office
in order for me to have an idea about the system of MECO while assisting there , I
learned about the different inquiries of people such as questions about legal documents
like affidavits and birth certificates, inquires about re-acquisition of Filipino Citizenship ,
renunciation of Filipino Citizenship and questions about dual citizenship and complaints
about people with criminal cases and abusive OFW brokers.
I was then assigned at the Legal Office headed by Atty. Sergio Eulogio but now he
was transferred at the second branch of MECO in TaiChung , which is already outside of
Taipei. He was then replaced by Atty. Keefe DeLa Cruz. In the legal office I assisted in
arranging legal document such as affidavits and birth certificates. I got an idea about what

kind of legal forms are being authenticated and processed here at MECO. I also assisted
in authenticating documents Some of the kinds of legal documents are Special Power of
Attorney and affidavits, Atty. Sergio explained to me that special power of attorney is like
giving the authority to person in order for that person to have the authority to perform
something like , withdrawing from the bank or selling of properties.

Here is one example of Special Power of Attorney , Mr. A who is working in Taiwan
needs to give Mr. B the authority to sell his parcel of land to M. D. Now Mr. A needs to
go to a lawyer here in the Philippine embassy in taiwan in order to file a special Power of
Attorney , stating that he is giving the authority to Mr. B to sell his parcel of land, Mr. A
have to sign the document in front of the lawyer proving that Mr. A signed the document
to give authority to Mr. B, after signed by Mr. A , the lawyer will now sign the document
which means that he is already giving the authority to Mr. A.
At the legal section I was able to hear about the different complaint of Filipino
OFW workers , complaints such as abuse of brokers and owners and financial abuse.
There are also inquiries for those who want to renounce theyre Filipino citizenship in
order for them to apply for Chinese citizenship , because in order for them to be qualified
of to apply for Chinese Citizen they must first renounce theyre Filipino citizenship. After
they have acquire Chinese citizenship they will soon re-acquire Filipino citizenship , in
this case they will be a dual-citizen. All of this are done and processed at the Legal Office
of MECO.

During the third (3rd) day of my practicum program, i first reported to the Deputy
head and proceeded at the information office then to the legal office and assisted in
arranging documents. There is one moment when a client approached us , he is a Filipino
citizen but he wants to acquire a Taiwan citizenship, therefore he must first renounce his
Filipino citizenship , which is one of the qualifications before he could acquire a Taiwan
citizen. I had my lunch break at 12:00 post meridiem and had my meal at a small Chinese
restaurant , I orderd a Chinese flavored chicken and a chocolate milk. Then I walked
back to the office and since MECO office is located at the 11th floor , I had to use the
elevator. Then I proceeded again at the legal office , and did the same thing I again
assisted n arranging documents , I also answered some of the inquiries of clients and
applicants then I assisted in authenticating documents . I stayed at the legal office until
6:00 PM , I exited the building and took the 642 bus heading to Hsin Yi District where
me and my family stayed.
I felt a bit tired during my third day (3 rd) and it feels like I dont want to do this
OJT anymore maybe because I am not yet really used to working , it is just my 3 rd day so
I felt a bit uncomfortable in the office since I am the youngest and everyone at the office
is a diplomat officer and consular officer and I am only a intern , so that is why there are
times where I felt a bit uncomfortable.
The next day I woke up around 6:00 in the morning I eat my breakfast until 6:30
am ,take a bath until 7:00am and dress up until 7:10 , I want to make sure that I will look
presentable and follow the dress code of the office . I will take a walk to reach the bus
stop and take bus number 642 or 643 heading to Chang Chun road. where MECO is
located. The bus ride from my place to the office takes only 20 minutes and . I always

arrive at exactly 8:20 am. After entering the building I will have to take the elevator to
reach the eleventh (11th) floor. Before I enter the office , I need to swipe my Identification
Card for my time record.
The office hours starts at 8:30 am and a lot of people are already waiting outside
the office getting ready to claim their passports and visas ,to apply for passports , visas ,
and others to start the procedures regarding citizenship.
Every morning I report to my boss or to the Deputy Representatives office , he
wants me to report every morning. He gave me again some briefing regarding some of
the policies of the office which includes proper haircut , dresscodes , etc. for the purpose
of looking presentable and decent.
I then stayed at the information center along with one of the officers of MECO ,
my task there is to answer different inquiries regarding citizenship,legal documents ,
passporting and visas. Most of the frequently asked questions is about citizenship ,
because there are a lot of people who wants to remove or renounce their citizenship
because they want to acquire Taiwan citizenship.
After having my lunch I stayed again at the legal office and assisted in
authenticating and arranging documents , I remember when a client is questioned by Atty.
Aquino for the reason of scamming, lets say the clients name is Mark(not real name) .I
was sitting in front of my desk doing my work while listening to the conversation of the
two There is this certain page on Facebook or online page wherein overseas Filipino
workers are being recruited to invest in this certain company and Mark is one of the first
recruited worker. Mark explained that he is asked by the owner of the online page to

recruit more workers, so he did. Mark along with the recruited overseas. After a few days
the workers realized that they have been scammed , they have already paid a certain
amount of money but there was no receipt and therefore they cannot guarantee its
legibility. The workers are blaming Mark because he is the one who recruited them. Mark
then was asked to proceed to MECO to answer some questions. He was explain that he to
is also a victim of scam of the said company. Atty . Aquino was trying to ask him(Mark)
the name of his recruiter, Mark cant even say a name and his reason is that it was only a
facebook page, Atty. disagreed to his reason , saying that how come he does not know the
name of his rectuiter , who ask him to recruit more overseas Filipino workers. It was a
long conversation and iwas not able to listen long enough because I am busy doing
preforming my tasks
The next day another happened involving a Filipino-Canadian and it was
explained to me by Attorney Aquino. Merong Filipino-Canadian diyan ngayon sa
airport ng Taiwan, dual citizen siya diba? So pag Canadian pwede siyang pumasok sa
Pilipinas kahit walang Visa , bakit? Kasi visa-free ang Canada. Kung ang gagamitin
niya ay Philippine passport , pwede din siyang pumasok sa Pilipinas. Ngayon pupunta
siya sa Pilipinas via Taipei Taiwan galing Canada. Ngayon nung dumating na siya sa
Taiwan airport , kasi via Taiwan ang biyahe papunta sa pilipinas. Hindi siya ngayon
papasukin kasi noong hihiinhingi na ung Philippine Passport niya pero hindi nya Makita
pati ung bagahe niya , yun wallet niya nawawala , ang natira lang sa kanya ay ang
cellphone niya. Tumawag siya ngayon sa akin (MECO) nahingi ng tulong . Ang gagawin
natin diyan , magfifile tayo sa Eva Air kasi nawala yung gamit niya. Mag iissue tayo
ngayon ng Travel Document sa kanya para makapasok siya sa Pilipinas , ang travel

document temporary lang yan. Pina- process na naming ang Travel Document , pupunta
ngayon sa Airport si Gina ( Consular Officer ). So ganun yun Persia
It is the job of MECO to protect overseas Filipino workers from mistreatment, it
is the priority of MECO to ensure the safety of the Filipino people here in Taiwan. They
are trying to warn OFWs not to join in any kind of investment offers , saying that their
money will be tripled after a month or two, which is very hard to believe.MECO tried to
warn them , time and time again but others still got baited. So MECO now is always ding
something in order to avoid such incident.
There was this time at the office where my task is far related from my field.. The
board of directors of MECO arrived , they had their board meeting at the second floor of
MECO , I was asked to prepare the meeting room , I prepared the table , snacks, cups and
som fruitrs and later on I assisted in preparing the tables and plates for lunch. It was lunch
time, and the board of directors are going to have their lunch at the pantry room of
MECO. I got to admit that there was a little bit of frustration because this is not what I
expect , I was expecting more work at the consular office , passporting office and legal
office and preform more law related stuffs and not to prepare tables and chairs. One of
the office staffs told me that here everyone gets suddenly busy when the board of
directors arrived , so I have no choice but to understand them , because I am only an
intern student here .
They stayed here in Taiwan for about three days and I was asked to accompany
the board of directors to the airport to assist in unloading their baggage. I was really
trying to handle my emotions , I keep saying to myself that this is only for today and

after this is over I can get back to my real work which at the legal office, consular office
and passporting office I just tried to understand it. I dont know if I have the right to be
disappointed because I am only an intern here at MECO .I tried to keep in mind that
whati I did is helping them , I just helped them and thats it nothing personal actually
WEEK 2
After finishing my first week , I can say that working at the office can really be
tiring and I was working for the whole day. I thought that my practicum here at Taiwan
would be worthless because my first two days was boring, because i just observed and
did nothing, but I was able to understand the reason why the Deputy asked me to observe
first at the office. The purpose of observing is for me to familiarize myself at the office so
somehow I did and during my 3 rd day onwards I was already starting to work on some
serious matters which are related to my course. I learned some of the purposes of MECO
here at Taiwan and I was able to know the officers , staff and only some of the high
officials because the Ambassador and The Board of Directors are still at MECO Manila
during that time.
On the second week of my practicum , I worked from Monday to Friday and
because it is the first Sunday of the month (May 3 , 2015) , I am on duty at the
Information counter of M.E.C.O along with one of the officers of M.E.C.O . My task is to
answer inquiries, give requirments to applicants regarding renewal of citizenship, and
questions regarding authentication of documents and other legal matters. This week I was
assigned in releasing Philippine e-Passport and foreign passports with visas which is a
part of a consular work. Consular works is very important to any representative office
because data of applicants should be checked properly before releasing any document.
Any discrepancy or error in releasing Philippine e-Passport or Visa can lead to Legal
complaints by applicants or the Immigration Bureau will call the attention of the

consulate or the embassy. This was explained to me by one of the consular officers for me
to have an idea about the importance of the releasing section and other consular works
and a consular work needs to be done precisely and properly because they cannot take the
risk of committing errors. During my second week of internship I can say that I am
already starting to be familiar with the work and the flow of the Organization. This week
I also learned on how they authenticate documents and other legal works like S.P.As ,
marriage certificate , birth certificate , renewal of Philippine Passport and reacquisition of
Philippine citizenship.
During this week I can feel that I have improved a lot and had become more
effective compared to the first week of my practicum. I learned new things like when it
comes to consular works and giving assistance in the

legal section. The deputy

representative of M.E.C.O told me that on I will have my rotation, being assigned to the
different sections of the organization or office one by one in order for me to know the
importance and the real purpose of M.E.C.O on why they are here in Taiwan ,he wants to
make sure that I have learned the system and the purpose of M.E.C.O before I finish my
internship .
The officers and staffs are being kind to me and they are really assisting at my
work and they even invite me to have lunch with them. After my second week of
internship already feel comfortable with the officers and staff of the organization , they
are the ones teaching me about the system and works here in M.E.C.O and I am hoping
that I can work for the organization in the future.
I was also given the chance to attend different meetings of the office with foreign
investors for the purpose of me to learn how the office interacts with other nationals to
promote our country as stated in the Tourism Act of 2009

The third (3rd) day of my second (2nd) week which is Wednesday , I realized that I
am already making some progress and somehow I am already starting to contribute to the
office by assisting them , at the same time I am learning something new. I assisted in
releasing visa , like I said visa works are very sensitive because once you release the

visa , it means you are already giving the applicant who is not a Philippine national to
enter our country. We want to make sure that a certain applicant is clear or he/she must
have a clean record, proving that he/she will not bring any burden to the Philippines. If
after the evaluation and the MECO found out that a certain applicant will not be a good
tourist to the Philippines , then MECO can deny or turn down the application for vis
because they have the authority or the right to deny visa applicants.
On fourth (4th)day of my practicum which was Thursday and I did the same
rotation. I started this day reporting at the Deputy Representatives office , then to the
information section where I assisted in giving requirements to applicants and answered
some of their questions and inquiries. Sometimes I was also asked to print some of the
forms like application for passport, application for visa, affidavit forms, Special Power of
Attorney , authorization letter and which is to be given to all the applicant for them to fill
it up which is the first step of the procedures.
I learned the different procedures or the systems in the office of MECO, the
deputy told me that aside from assisting at the legal office, consular office, visa office and
passporting office , I also have to learn some of the operation of MECO. He wants me to
know how a Philippine embassy works and knowing the systems , the procedures and the
mandate of MECO or a Embassy , in order for me to have the some advantages for my
future career as a lawyer or as an officer of the Philippine embassy.
At around 4:00 pm of my fourth day (second week) , I was give the chance to
renew and process some Philippine e-passports. The purpose of this is for me to know or
to have an idea about the passport issuance, because MECO can only issue Philippine
passports to Filipino nationals which is stated in the Philippine Passporting Law. We
cannot issue Philippine passports to Taiwanese and other foreign nationals , unless they
acquired a Philippine citizenship through naturalization then they are qualified and can be
issued a Philippine passport.
Day five(5) of week two (2) , during this day I was only asked to do the
same thing , the same rotation. Nothing significant happened during this day , I still did
the same tasks.

The procedures for application and renewal of passports ;

The applicant must fill up a certain form , he/she must indicate the name of
his/her parents. The full name of the parents including the surname of the
parents when they are not yet married. He/she must indicate if he is a Filipino
citizen and he/she acquired it by Birth , by marriage , naturalization and by
republic act 9225
The applicant will now proceed to the passporting section and give the form to
the passporting office , the officer will now evaluate the applicants data. The
officer will now ask some questions to the applicant. If after the evaluation
and the applicant is a Filipino citizen , the passport will now be processed and
since MECO do not have the machine to make passports , the processed
passport data will be sent online to the Department of Foreign Affairs. The
applicant will be waiting for two months or more for the arrival of the new
passport.
The legal office takes care of applicants filing affidavits, applying for reacquisition and to renounce Filipino citizenship in order to acquire a Taiwan/Chinese
citizen , which will be processed at the Taiwan government.
There are two lawyers at the legal office , namely Attorney Keefe DeLa Cruz and
Attorney Sergio. I assisted them in processing and arranging documents and any other
legal works
There were instances when I encountered rude applicants. I was at the passport
releasing section and I remember an applicant approached us to claim her passport, she
gave us here claim-stab , so I asked if the passport is hers because if not she will be
needing authorization letter to claim the passport.She said that the passport is hers and
she answered in English , we asked her if she is a Filipino and she answered yes and
answered in English. She answered in rude way , but it is really part of our job to double
check the passport before we release it. We asked her to sign using the electronic signing
pad, he answered what for ?! , why do I have to sign? she answered in a very rude
voice and he even took a picture of us secretly , not knowing I saw her took that picture

,then I told one of the officers that this woman has been acting rude and weird. So they
told me not to release the passport , they called the attention of the office lawyer.
Attorney Serge. then approached the passport releasing section and he checked the
womans papers and found something suspicious because of plenty erasures on the form
that she filled up , there were a lot of alterations which made it questionable. Attorney
Serge asked the lady to follow him to his office to answer some questions . I never had
the chance to ask Atty. To ask about their conversation at the office , because he was
always to busy and I dont have the guts to disturb him. I can say that was my first time
to encounter a rude applicant with me as the the employee or the person releasing the
passport.
I remember my boss, Atty. Aquino( the Deputy Representative ) told me to assist
him in his office , to arrange the documents, some are visa applications and some are
affidavits .
The Deputy Representive, Atty. Aquino frequently asked different questions about
my future career , he always ask me if I really want to be a lawyer and I answered yes. He
gave me some advices regarding law school and what it take to be a lawyer. He said that
being a law student is not a joke and it never was. Being in law school means being
separated or isolated from the real world , he told me that my minimum hours of
studying must me 6 hours a day and he told me that if only spend 4 hours studying I will
surely graduate from law school but I may not pass the bar exam. He told me that I must
consider my first year in law school as a preparation for the bar exam. The preparation for
the bar exam does not start at my 3 rd or 4th year in law school , it starts from day one and
perhaps all the other lawyers of MECO gave me the same advice.
Second week was tiring since I already started to work , I had my rotation starting
from the legal office to the consular office , I was also able to interview the lawyers of the
organization like Atty. Aquino and Atty. Sergio. I can say that this was a successful week
for me.
WEEK 3

On my third (3rd) week , during this week I was assigned at the Legal Office and
also at the Department of Trade , Dapertment of Tourism ,and Labor office. After a few
days the Deputy head told me that I have already learned a lot during my first 2 weeks of
working her at MECO the Deputy Representative told me that maybe its time for me to
be assigned to the attached office of MECO. The Department of Trade which is headed
by Mr. Benedict Uy , the Tourism Affairs which s headed by Mr. Rene and the Labor
office headed by Atty. Perez. The purpose of this is for me to learn the other important
purposes or functions of MECO
Assigning me to the other departments of MECO gave me more, benefits for my
future career. Department Of trade and I learned about new laws like the Tourism act and
Philippine Foreign Service act.
First I was assigned at the Department Of trade which a attachment office of
M.E.C.O held by Sir Benedict Uy, I stayed there during the third week of my internship.
At first Sir Ben gave me a briefing about the purpose of the Department Of Trade. Mr.
Uy told me about the our countrys relationship with taiwan and the only problem is that
our Philippine products like fruits are not allowed to enter the Taiwan market because
Taiwan is protecting their farmers, who are one of the main priority of Taiwan.
The purpose of department of trade is to attract investments from other countries
to the Philippines , promote the Philippines and to allow foreign exchange , they promote
Philippine Products to other countries, but since this is a branch in Taiwan , so they
promote our products to Taiwan. So I joined Mr. Uy in meetings with other foreign
investors, I observed how they promote our Country. Theyre main job here in Taiwan is
to promote the our country as good place for investment . They negotiate with Taiwanese
investors and convince Taiwan to allow our products to enter the Taiwan market and the
same with other Philippine Department of Trade offices in other countries they promote
the Philippines to that certain country. What are the advantages of attracting investors to
the Philippines , allowing trade with Taiwan or with other certain countries. It opens more
job opportunity for Filipino people and that is exactly what our country need right now.

Sir ben asked me to do a research about the law that is being followed by the
department of trade. The department of trade follows the Philippine Foreign Service Act
of 1992 which serves a guide for the Department Of Trade. I was asked to do a Legal
research about this Law and other Laws that M.E.C.O abides with , which I will
including in my final report.
The deputy asked me to do some legal research about the laws that Manila
Economic and Cultural office abides. He wants me to know about the legal matters
related to the organization. Not only did he want me to complet my practicum but he also
wants give me better benefits by assigning me to the different attachment office of
MECO , in order for me to know the other purporses of MECO aside from passporting ,
visas , etc. I learned that MECO also help give more job opportunities to Filipino workers
in Taiwan and in the Philippines , they do this by attracting Taiwanese investors to the
Philippines.
I was also able to apply some of the skills I learned from school which is doing
legal researches , our Lawyer professors at school always ask us to do legal research , so I
think me and my classmates are already used to it so I think that has been one of our
advantages during our practicum and it can help little when we enter law school.
During my 3rd week , I can say that I have contributed to the organization and
have learned a lot , I learned new Laws like the Philippine foreign service act and
Tourism act, I have also learned about the citizenship law which I know can help me a lot
now and in my future career. I am now on close to finishing my practicum and I will
have my last day on Wednesday which is May 13 and I will be leaving Taiwan May 16 in
the evening and will arrive in the morning of May 17. I expect to learn more during my
last three(3) days here at MECO. Ths practicum program is a big opportunity for me and
my classmates, because everything that we have learned , we can apply that to our future
career.
The Tourism Affairs office is located at the ninth (9 th) floor of the building . It is
headed by Mr. Ireneo H. Reyes. Tourism has long been one of the key priorities of
MECO, they promote our country to attract more foreign investors. They create job

opportunities and directly contributes to infrastructure development and helps strengthen

national pride.
The Labor office on the other hand is located in a different building sop I have to
take the bus to get there. It is also one of the attaches offices of MECO. They are the ones
assisting Filipinos here in Taiwan when it comes to job searching. I worked there for only
a day , I stayed at the office of Attorney Perez .

Areas of the law which have been relevant in the works performed during the
internship.
The Deputy Representative assigned me to different sections of MECO , the Legal
Section, the passporting section , visa section , Information section and he also assigned
me to the attached agencies of M.E.C.O like the Department of Trade , Department Of
Tourism and Labor Office , which are all under the Philippine Government. He wants me
to be assigned to different sections of MECO in order for me to know how a Philippine
Embassy Operates , how it works and the purpose why they are here in Taiwan. I had my
worked in the office for three and a half week and had enough time to grasp and learn the
system of the organization.
During my first week I stayed at the Passporting Section and Legal Section , at the
Legal my task is to help or assist in encoding , arranging and authenticating documents
and other Legal papers. Legal papers like affidavits , re-acquisition of citizenship ,
renunciation of citizenship and etc. I assisted in authenticating affidavits , I had to review
the affidavit before I assist in authenticating it by putting a red ribbon and dry sealing it .
At the passporting section my task is to review and now if the passport applicant
is a Filipino , because we can only issue Philippine Passport to Filipino citizens. So I
asked if there are any legal matters related in the passporting section , the Deputy
representative said Yes Of course , in the passporting section you must now the Laws
about Citizenship because the office cannot just give passports to a non-Filipino citizen.
We cannot issue a Philippine passport to other nationals and that is why we need to
makes sure that a person is a Filipino citizen. So who are the Filipino citizen , a Filipino

citizen are those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption of this
Constitution , those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines , those born
before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship upon
reaching the age of majority and those who are naturalized in accordance with law. I am
given the chance to renew and issue Philippine passports to Filipinos. I also compared the
data of the passport applicant , I checked the name and citizenship of the parents , birth
certificate , report of birth from N.S.O for children born abroad and marriage contract of
parents and other documents. I needed to make sure so I asked them some questions if
they really are Filipinos. So I find my task difficult because it makes me really nervous ,
that is why I need to do it precisely , properly and carefully but surely. Any errors or
discrepancy like issuing passports to non-Filipino citizens by accident or because of
reckless imprudence can cause big problem or burden to the organization. In case that the
passport is lost and there is emergency need to go back to the home country and after the
citizenship is established , the Consulate or the Embassy can issue a travel document.
MECO is also authorized to issue visa to a foreign nationals if they are holding a
temporary passport upon communication with the Bureau of Immigration in Manila At
the visa section , my task is to also review or check the data and documents of the visa
applicants. I need to makes sure that the applicant have a clean record and will not bring
any burden to our country. Because other nationals are not visa free to enter the
Philippines , first they need to apply for a Visa. He/she must not have any criminal
records or any records that can prohibit him/her to enter our country. If a applicant will
cause burden to our country then he/she will not be allowed to enter the Philippines.
MECO can deny any visa applicant due to reasonable cause and for the safety of the
country, they dont have to explain on why they denied the applicant unless asked. The
Deputy Representative of MECO stated that they can only issue Visas to the qualified
applicants and there are also a list of countries who are visa-free , which means they can
enter the Philippine even without a visa but they should not exceed for more than 30
working days. Aside from checking the data of visa applicants I was also asked to affix
visa stickers , the task was not easy because it is a must not to commit any errors , its a
consular work and it must be done surely because any errors can lead to liabilities.

I was assigned at the information Center of MECO in order for me to know the
inquiries of the applicants regarding renewal of passports, issuance of visa , matters
relating to citizenship and other legal matters. I stayed at the information section along
with one of the staff of MECO. I answered some inquiries regarding to the said matters
and I learned about the requirements needed like re acquisition of Philippine citizenship
as well as renounciation of Philippine citizenship. There are also inquiries about different
addresses of Philippine embassies, consulates or representative office in other countries
and because MECO is a service oriented office.
I was informed that they have a 24/7 emergency hotline for Filipino nationals and
it means that they also answer inquiries even on holidays. I come to know that MECO
office is ISO 9001:2000 certified. The only Philippine foreign mission that is certified by
the International Organization for Standardization. An ISO certification is proof that the
organization is committed to continue to improve its services. Adherence to efficiency,
effectiveness, quality and continuous improvement. Ambassador Antonio I. Basilio says,
We were able to identify gaps and lapses in our operations and services that we needed
to address. There is a stronger commitment to meet the requirements of our clients and
stakeholders in terms of timeliness, accuracy and quality in our service.
When I was assigned in the consular section to assist in doing consular work , I
learned some of the mandates or main purposes of a Philippine Embassy. I also asked
about any related legal matters , they answered that the embassy follows a certain law
which is the Philippine Foreign Service act of 1992. In Consular Services (the Consular
section of MECO is called Consular Affairs), I received a briefing from Atty. Carlo L.
Aquino who is the Deputy Representative that a visa officer should evaluate each and
every applications of applicants and if he or she is qualified to enter the Philippines.
There are nationals of different countries that are visa free to enter the Philippines for 30
days but if they wish to stay longer than 30 days then they can apply for a visa. I learned
that a visa is not a right it is only a privilege or an endorsement and an Immigration
Officer will perform another evaluation of a foreign visitor. Legal basis is MECO follow
the different Circulars from the DFA Manila including endorsements and correspondence.
They received updates of Foreign Service Circulars about visa policies on Foreign

Nationals holding ordinary passport, official and diplomatic as well as Emergency

Passport/Travel Documents issued by Country of Origin. They also received
The Deputy Representative wants me to learn the system of the office, the
standard operating procedures, and how an embassy works, He said this can help me in
my future career and he said that in case I work for a Philippine Embassy in the future , I
already have a background about the organization and that will be an advantage for me.
I was also assigned to Commercial Affairs of the Department of Trade and
Industry which is an attachment office of MECO headed by Mr. Benedict Uy , who is
the present representative of DTI during the third week of my internship. At first Mr. Uy
gave me a briefing about the purpose of the Department Of Trade and Industry. Its
purpose is to attract investments from other countries to the Philippines , promote the
Philippines and allow Philippine Products to enter other countries. So I joined Sir Ben in
meetings with other foreign investors to observe how they promote our country. Their
job here in Taiwan is to promote the Philippines to Taiwanese investors and convince
Taiwan to allow our products to enter the Taiwan market and the same with other
Philippine Department of Trade and Industry offices in other countries. He said they do
the same job and that is to promote the Philippines to the host country. What are the
advantages of attracting investors to the Philippines or allowing trade with Taiwan or
with other countries? It opens more job opportunity for Filipino people and that is exactly
what our country need right now. If Taiwanese chose to invests in the Philippines , it will
open more factories or businesses which will be a big opportunity to give jobs to the
Filipino people and help our economy.
The Department of Trade and Industry follows the Philippine Foreign Service Act
of 1992 which serves as a guide for the Department Of Trade. I was asked to do a Legal
research about this law and other laws that M.E.C.O abides with , which will also be
included in this paper.
I was also assigned at the Tourism Affairs which is under the Department of
Tourism, which is headed by Sir Rene Reyes. The Department of Tourism abides with
the (R.A 9593) Tourism Act of 2009 and I was also asked to do some research about this

law. At the Department of tourism , I was invited to join some of the meetings with
Taiwanese investors and businessmen and I learned on how DOT promote our country to
different investors. The tourism act serves as a guide of investments from other countries
to ensure the Philippine growth and to improve the economy of the Philippines by
opening more job opportunities and promoting our country.
I got the chance to know the other mandates of MECO here at the Tourism
Affairs, they promote our country not only in Taiwan but also in other countries
depending on where a Philippine Embassy is located. The successful operations of
Tourism Affairs favors a lot of Filipino workers because it opens more job opportunities
and at the same time more investors come to the Philippines , which can contribute to the
growth or improvement of our economy.

Specialization or primary focus as reflected in the practices or records of the company.

The mission of MECO is to sustain and enhance mutually beneficial relationship
between the economies and societies of the Philippines and Taiwan strengthened through
active cooperation and increased exchanges. Strong ties between the peoples of Taiwan
and the Philippines will mean better lives for the Filipino people.
One of the purposes of MECO is to serve the Filipino people here in Taiwan and
provide them with the help and assistance they need. MECO is in charge of issuing
Philippine e-passports to the Filipinos and assisting or helping them with theyre
problems against theyre owners and brokers. MECO issues Philippine e-passports and
they can only issue Philippine passports to Filipino citizens. So who are the Filipino
citizen , a Filipino citizen are those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the
adoption of this Constitution , those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the
Philippines , those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect
Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority and those who are naturalized in
accordance with law.

In issuance of visa , since this is a MECO branch in Taiwan so they issue visas to
Taiwanese in order for them to enter the Philippines . MECO cannot just issue visas
without checking or evaluating the data of visa applicants. We have to know whether the
applicant will not be a burden to our country, the Philippines. We have to check if the
applicant have no criminal records or any records that will prohibit him or her from
entering the Philippines. We want to make sure about the countrys safety , MECO can
deny visas if after evaluation , they see any records proving that the applicant will not be
a good tourist or visitor to the Philippines because he might be a burden or will might
bring problems to our country. There are countries who may enter the Philippines even
without a visa , but only for a stay not exceeding thirty(30) working days under Executive
Order 408, provided that these foreign nationals are holders of a passport valid at least
six(6) months , beyond period of stay in the Philippines and return or outward bound
ticket to next country of destination or country origin. There are also countries that falls
into different categories. If there are Memorandum Circular from the Department of
foreign affairs, there are also Immigration Memorandum Circulars from the bureau of
immigration regarding of visa policy and visa issuance.
The MECO, as the duly designated instrumentality to promote and protect
Philippine interests in Taiwan, has been authorized and conferred with authority to
perform functions usually carried out by Philippine foreign missions but of a nonpolitical,
nonsecurity nature. It performs consular functions and is tasked with the duty of
protecting and promoting the wellbeing of Philippine nationals in Taiwan. It has been
authorized to assist in the formulation of a comprehensive action plan in Taiwan and to
act as the coordinator of all Philippine activities concerning Taiwan. In addition.
Executive Order No. 15 issued on 16 May 2001 by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,
specifically mandates MECO to perform the following functions; Formulation and
Implementation of a program to attract and promote investments from Taiwan to
Philippine industries and businesses, especially in manufacturing, tourism, construction
and other preferred areas of investments; Promotion of the export of Philippine products
and Filipino manpower services, including Philippine management services, to Taiwan; *
Negotiation and/or assistance in the negotiation and conclusion of agreements or other
arrangements concerning trade, investment, economic cooperation, technology transfer,

banking and finance, scientific, cultural, educational and other modes of cooperative
endeavors between the Philippines and Taiwan, on a people to people basis, in
accordance with established rules and regulations
The department of trade is one of the attachment offices of MECO , along wioth
Department of Tourism and Labor Office. . The Foreign Trade Service Corps(FTSC)
aims to promote Philippine trade and investment worldwide . As part of the Department
of Trade and Industrys International Trade Group, they connect trading business of
Philippine companies and foreign investors with their counterparts.This task is primarily
carried out by professionals called commercial attaches or commercial counselors who
man their respective posts abroad.
The goal of DOT is not just to explore and promote the export potential of
Philippine products and services abroad. Its also facilitating a match between the
Philippine exporters and buyers in different markets . Direct support is given to overseas
and private sectors. These include in-store promotions , catalogue shows campaigns with
foreign business persons . Trade missions to and from the Philippines are also organized
to further promote business relations.
Being a prime investment site , the MECO commmercial affairs participate in
investment mission where they introduce foreign investors to Philippine businessmen
who are open to increasing capital as well as members of trade or industry associations
and chambers of commerce. Once potential and prospective investors (including
Overseas Filipino Investors) are identified. , investment advice and counseling are
provided to them. Market Research is conducted for specific Philippine products while
developments and changes in the host countries trade rules and regulations are monitored
. Commercial , industrial , and general economic conditions affecting Philippine Products
are gathered and tracked up-to-date news to be fed to local companies . Information in the
form of commercial intelligence is also gathered for the benefit of government and
industry sectors , including small and medium enterprises not only in Metropolitan
Manila but also in the northern and southern regions in the country.

Trade policy provides the institutional setting within which trade and investment relation
take place. Issues in host countries that affect and investment interest in the Philippines
are immediately given a recommended course of action to harness their impact on our
ability to trade and do business. At the same time, there is keen participation in trade and
economic engagements including the negotiation , conclusion, and implementation of
Free Trade Agreements with our trading partners.
The Tourism Affairs abides with the Tourism Act of 2009 (R.A 9593) which will
be included on this report later, Tourism Affairs serves as a pathway to attract investments
from other countries for the purpose of helping our country men by giving more job
opportunities and for the improvement or development of our economy. Tourism has long
been one of the key priorities of MECO. A key generator of new business opportunities,
tourism creates jobs , generates substantial export earnings, directly contributes to
infrastructure development and helps strengthen national pride. Visitor arrivals from
Taiwan to the Philippines enjoyed growth of close to 60 percent from the past years and
close to 119,000 visitors in a year. In terms of tourism receipts, travelers from Taiwan
directly injected millions in US dollars into the Philippine economy. Export earnings
generated by visitor arrivals from Taiwan alone accounted for four percent of the
countrys gross tourism receipts which totaled US$ 2.4 billion. According to Tourism
Affairs, the Taiwan market had a four percent share of the Philippines total tourist
arrivals, ranking sixth in the countrys top 10 source markets.
On the other part I learned that MECO has stepped up its partnership with travel
industry leaders and stakeholders in marketing the Philippines as a top leisure and
business tourism hub in the past decade. Recognizing the vital role that tour operators
play in promoting the country as an exciting and vibrant travel destination. By working
in partnership with Taiwans travel and tourism traders, MECO has been able to grow the
Taiwanese markets awareness of the Philippines valuefor-money packages and
attractions. This has also enabled MECO to stretch its promotions budget by launching
joint marketing campaigns with the Taiwan travel industry that are aligned and targeted
towards a common goal: To help boost tourist arrivals in the country and present a
cohesive brand image for the Philippines.

In addition to the above-mentioned initiatives, I was able to know that MECO

has significantly raised the Philippines visibility in Taiwans travel and tourism circuit by
joining international travel fairs, organizing road shows, launching cultural festivals and
investing in innovative sales and marketing programs targeting consumers.

Wisely

putting its marketing dollars to good use, MECO invested on billboard, Internet, print
and television advertising to reach its target consumers. It has also aggressively pushed
for tie-ups with lifestyle and leisure television programs and even producers of soap
operas or the Taiwanese equivalent of the Philippines teleseryes.
In my own research during the internship, I come to know that during the past 10
years, MECO has positioned the Philippines as one of the worlds most exciting
adventure and eco-tourism destinations for Taiwanese leisure travelers. Taiwans vibrant
dive travel consumer market is another priority segment for the Philippines. To date,
there are about 400,000 licensed divers in Taiwan, not to mention the hundreds of
consumers who want to sign up for diving lessons. Outdoor enthusiasts, nature lovers
and sports-minded travelers can experience the wonders of the Philippines by visiting our
flagship destinations including Cebu, Bohol, Boracay, Batangas and Palawan. MECO
has waged several campaigns promoting the Philippines as a year-round eco-tourism and
adventure sports destinations. The goal is to highlight adventure sports and eco-tourism
activities that are different from typical beach holidays.
Legal Researches/New Laws Learned
Philippine Foreign Service Act of 1991
The Republic Act 7157 which is also know s the Philippine Foreign service act of
1991, the purpose of this act is to enhance and strengthen our relation with other nations.
The State shall pursue an independent foreign policy. In its relations with other states, the
paramount consideration shall be national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national
interest, and the right to self-determination.
The main objective of this Act is to reorganize and strengthen the Philippine Foreign
Service in order to:

(1)Upgrade the qualifications of the Career Foreign Service Corps and thereby enable its
officers and employees to serve effectively the interests of the Republic of the Philippines
abroad;
(2)Strengthen the capability of the Career Foreign Service Corps to conduct studies,
analyses and evaluation of events, both domestic and international, that will serve as
guidelines for achieving an independent foreign policy for the country;
(3) Ensure broad representation of the Philippine society in the foreign service and,
further, to ensure equal opportunities in the enlistment and recruitment of officers and
employees taking into account the ethnic composition of the country;
(4)Institute improvements in the selection and training of personnel so that only
competent persons of good moral character are recruited in the Service;
(5)Provide that promotions in the Service shall be on the basis of merit;
(6)Guarantee permanence or security of tenure of the career personnel of the Service
during good behavior and satisfactory performance of duty;
(7)Provide suitable salaries, allowances and benefits that will attract personnel from all
walks of Philippine life and to appoint persons to the highest positions in the Service
solely on the basis of merit and demonstrated capability in the promotion of national
interests;
(8)Provide a comprehensive and flexible framework for the administration of the foreign
service consistent with modern practices in this field; and
(9)Consolidate into one act all provisions of the law relating to the administration of the
foreign service. In pursuance of the foregoing objective, the principle of
nondiscrimination with respect to sex, creed, language, ethnic identity and religion shall
be strictly enforced.
Citizenship

A citizen is one who is a member of a State who was accorded with full civil and political
rights, subject to disqualifications provided by law, and who is duly protected inside and
outside of the State where he is a citizen. Together with other citizens, they make up a
political community. Citizenship is a term signifying membership of a citizen in a
political community. Since the State provides protection and security to its members, the
member on the other hand has the reciprocal duty of allegiance to the State.
A Filipino citizen must belong to any classes stated under Section 1, Article IV of the
1987 Philippine Constitution. A citizen of the Philippines are
1) Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption of this
Constitution;
2) Those who fathers and mothers are citizens of the Philippines
3) Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine
citizenship upon reaching the age of majority; and
4) Those who are naturalized in accordance with law.
Based on the constitution there are wo kind of Filipino citizens. The natural born
Filipino citizen and the naturalized Filipino citizen. The jus sanguinis principe is used to
know or determine the kind of citizen. Jus sanguinis principle , blood relationship is the
basis for the acquisition of citizenship . This means that a newly born child follows the
citizenship of his parents. On the other hand jus soli or jus loci principle , a newly born
child follows the citizenship of the state where he was born irrespective of the citizenship
of his parents. If the jus sanguinis is used therefore , a natural born Filipino citzen
generally is one who was born with one of his parents , or both , is a Filipino citizen no
matter where he was born , if one of his parents or both parents is a Filipino citizen ,
automatically the child is a Filipino citizen. When we say natural born Filipino citizen , it
means a person does not have to perform any act to acquire his citizenship. Those who
elect citizenship in accordance with par. 3, sec. 1 hereof shall also be deemed natural
born citizen

A naturalized Filipino citizen is one who underwent the naturalization process

under the law of the Philippines. Naturalization is the act of formally adopting a foreigner
into the political community of a State and giving him the rights and privileges of
citizenship. When a person is naturalized, he already renunciated his former citizenship,
therefore, his allegiance is now on the State where he was naturalized. The Revised
Naturalization Act (CA No. 473, as amended) is the current naturalization law of the
Philippines.
The following are the ways of acquiring Filipino citizenship by naturalization:
1) By judgment of the court application for naturalization shall be filed in the proper
Regional Trial Court.
2)By direct act of Congress the Congress enacts an act conferring citizenship on a
foreigner.
3)By administrative proceedings subject to Republic Act 9139 The Administrative
Naturalization Law of 2000 (January 8, 2001).
The difference between Dual Citizenship and Dual allegiance
Dual Citizenship refers to the possession of two citizenships by an individual, that
of his original citizenship and that of the country where he became a naturalized citizen.
It may also arise in an instance wherein a person was born of Filipino parents but in
another country where said country follows jus soli or jus loci principle.
Dual allegiance, on the other hand, refers to the continued allegiance of a naturalized
citizen to their mother country even after acquiring Filipino citizenship.
The Philippine government prohibits dual allegiance. Section 5, Article IV of the 1987
Constitution declares that dual allegiance of citizens is inimical to the national interests
and shall be dealt with by law.
Dual allegiance is not prohibited, however, it may be regulated or restricted by
Philippine laws where it is conducive or could deal to dual allegiance. It is because

citizenship requires allegiance to a country to which one is a citizen which must be

absolute and undivided. This is to avoid as to the one having a dual citizenship shall
support just in case the national interest of the countries where he has citizenships
collide most especially if there is a state of war.
An instance where dual allegiance is not allowed is in the qualification for an
elective or appointive position in the Philippine government service. Filipino citizens
having dual citizenships are disqualified from seeking an elective position in the
Philippines.
I need to learn about the Law on Citizenship because , I got assigned at the
passporting section and it is my job to evaluate whether the applicant is a Filipino citizen
or not. If the applicant is not a Filipino citizen then he/she cannot be issued a Philippine
e-passport, but if his/her country is visa free then he/she can enter the Philippines not
exceeding 30 working days.
Republic Act 9593 also known as Tourism Act of 2009
An act declaring a national policy for tourism as an engine of investment, employment,
growth and national development and strengthening the department of tourism and its
attached agencies to effectively and efficiently implement that policy, and appropriating
funds therefor.I learned about this law when I was assigned at the Tourism Affairs office
of MECO. Tourism Affairs ought to help promote our country here at Taiwan and to
different foreign investors , their job is to attract Taiwanese investors. The State declares
tourism as an indispensable element of the national economy and an industry of national
interest and importance, which must be harnessed as an engine of socio-economic growth
and cultural affirmation to generate investment, foreign exchange and employment, and
to continue to mold an enhanced sense of national pride for all Filipinos.
The Department of Tourism, hereinafter referred to as the Department, shall be
the primary planning, programming, coordinating, implementing and regulatory
government agency in the development and promotion of the tourism industry, both
domestic and international, in coordination with attached agencies and other government

instrumentalities. It shall instill in the Filipino the industrys fundamental importance in

the generation of employment, investment and foreign exchange.

The purpose of this act is to;

(1) Ensure the development of Philippine tourism that is for and by then Filipino people,
conserve and promote their heritage, national identity and sensen of unity;
(2) Recognize sustainable tourism development as integral to the national socioeconomic development efforts to improve the quality of life of the Filipino people,
providing the appropriate attention and support for the growth of this industry;
(3) Promote a tourism industry that is ecologically sustainable, responsible, participative,
culturally sensitive, economically viable, and ethically and socially equitable for local
communities;
(4) Create a favorable image of the Philippines within the international community,
thereby strengthening the countrys attraction as a tourism destination and eventually
paving the way for other benefits that may result from a positive global view of the
country;
(5) Develop the country as a prime tourist hub in Asia, as well as a center of world
congresses and conventions, by promoting sustainable tourism anchored principal on the
countrys history, culture and natural endowments, and ensuring the protection,
preservation and promotion of these resources; and
(6) Encourage private sector participation and agri-tourism for countryside development
and preservation of rural life.
Here are some of the objectives of this act;
Encourage activities and programs which promote tourism awareness, preserve
the countrys diverse cultures and heritage, and instill a sense of history and a culture of

tourism among the youth and the populace; They conduct different programs to protect
the Philippines culture and heritage for the purpose of protecting our tourism spots or
investment spots for other countries. We need to preserve our countrys culture to keep
our good image and in order to maintain the investments from other countries
All things being equal, grant preferential treatment to the employment of Filipino
nationals in tourism-related enterprises. To make sure that every OFW Filipino workers
are being treated right and equally. This is for the purpose of avoiding abuse or
mistreatment against OFWs.
Provide full government assistance by way of competitive investment incentives,
long-term development fund and other financing schemes extended to tourism related
investments
Ensure that tourism development protects and promotes the general well- being of the
Filipino people, particularly in the area of investment, to include the monitoring and
prevention of any act of profiteering or speculation to the detriment of local residents, as
well as the exploitation of women and children in tourism;
Ensure the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology through the
promotion of activities geared towards environmental protection, conservation and
restoration. To protect the countrys environmental riches in order for the Filipino people
to have a convenient, clean and healthy environment.
To develop responsible tourism as a strategy for environmentally sound and
community participatory tourism programs, enlisting the participation of local
communities, including indigenous peoples, in conserving bio-physical and cultural
diversity, promoting environmental understanding and education, providing assistance in
the determination of ecotourism sites and ensuring full enjoyment of the benefits of
tourism by the concerned communities
Strengthen the role of tourism councils and encourage the participation of nongovernment organizations (NGOs), peoples organizations (POs) and the private sector in
initiating programs for tourism development and environmental protection;

Enhance capability-building of local government units (LGUs), in partnership

with the private sector, in the management of local tourism projects and initiatives,
thereby ensuring accessible and affordable destinations throughout the country, especially
in areas which have shown strong comparative advantage;
Maintain international standards of excellence in all tourism facilities and
Services, and promote the country as a safe and wholesome tourist destination. To have a
smooth flow of procedures. The Tourism office promote the Philippines as a safe country
for tourist destination , they convince other countries that the Philippines is a very good
place for destination and invesments.
Enhance international business relations for the support of tourism projects of The
private sector, through partnerships, joint ventures and other cooperative undertakings
involving local and foreign investors. They build a good and strong business relations
with other countries , thus building up a good image for our the Philippines and making
the Philippines a better place for foreign investments
Support the establishment of tourism enterprise zones (TEZs), which will provide
the necessary vehicle to coordinate actions of the public and private sectors to address
development barriers, attract and focus investment on specific geographic areas and
upgrade product and service quality; and Ensure a sustainable funding mechanism for the
implementation of tourism Policies, plans, programs, projects and activities.
Republic Act 8239
Philippine Passsport Act of 1996
SEC. 2. Statement of Policy.
Passport means a document issued by the Philippine government to its citizens
and requesting other governments to allow its citizens to pass safely and freely, and in
case of need to give him/her all lawful aid and protection.

The people's constitutional right to travel is inviolable. Accordingly, the

government has the duty to issue passport or any travel document to any citizen of the
Philippines or individual who complies with the requirement of this Act. The right to
travel may be impaired only when national security, public safety, or public health
requires. To enhance and protect the unimpaired exercise of this right, only minimum
requirements for the application and issuance of passports and other travel documents
shall be prescribed. Action on such application and the issuance shall be expedited.
It is stated in Article 3 , Section 6 of the Philippine Constitution that every
Filipino citizen have the right to travel. It may only be impaired when national security ,
public safety , or public health requires. Philippine Passports can only be issued to
Filipino citizens.
No passport shall be issued to an applicant unless the Secretary or his duly authorized
representative is satisfied that the applicant is a Filipino citizen who has complied with
the following requirement enumerated in Section 5 of the Philippine Passport act.
It is a must for me and for other employees here at MECO to be able to communicate
with other people. Communication skills is very important when you are working for a
embassy because you will always encounter interacting with other people with different
nationalities. English is mostly used by Taiwanease and other nationals. The good thing is
am already used to speaking the English language and i can speak the language fluently.
I have learned a lot of new things and new skills which can give me advantages for
my future career .I improved a lot after completing my practicum program , I learned
about how a philippine embassy operates, I learned about the procedures and mandates of
MECO which is to assist Filipino nationals here at Taiwan , to make sure that they are
being treated right by their owners.
Manila Economic and Cultural office abides with different laws , like the Philippine
Foreign Service act of 1991 , citizenship laws and the Tourism Act of 2009.

Travel Document means a certification or identifying document containing the

description and other personal circumstances of its bearer, issued for direct travel to and
from the Philippines valid for short periods or a particular trip. It is issued only to persons
whose claim to Philippine citizenship is doubtful or who fall under the category
enumerated in Section 13 of this Act;
To whom can a Travel Document be Issued
Travel Documents. A travel document, in lieu of a passport, may be issued to:
a) A Filipino citizen returning to the Philippines who for one reason or another has lost
his/her passport or cannot be issued a regular passport;
b) A Filipino citizen being sent back to the Philippines;
c) An alien spouse of a Filipino and their dependents who have not yet been naturalized
as a Filipino and who are travelling to the Philippines or is a permanent resident of the
Philippines;
d) Aliens permanently residing in the Philippines who are not able to obtain foreign
passport and other travel documents;
e) A stateless person who is likewise a permanent resident, or a refugee granted such
status or asylum in the Philippines
There are differet types of passport ; Diplomatic Passports and Official
Passports. Diplomatic Passports are for persons imbued with diplomatic status or are on
diplomatic mission. Official Passport to be issued to all government officials and
employees on official trip abroad but who are not on a diplomatic mission or delegates to
international or regional conferences or have not been accorded diplomatic status.
Passports can be denied in if the applicant have a pending criminal case. When so
requested by the natural or legal guardian, if the applicant is a minor and When the
applicant has been found to have violated any of the provisions of this Act;
A Philippine passport may be canceled if the holder is a fugitive from justice,
when the holder has been convicted of a criminal offense and when a passport was
acquired fraudulently or tampered with.
A passport is restricted if the following instances are present, if the country of
destination is in a state of political instability which could pose a danger to the Filipino
traveler, when diplomatic ties have been fractured or severed with the Philippines, when

the country of destination is subject to travel restriction by government policy,

enforcement of action by the United Nations or in a state of war.
Offenses and Penalties. A passport being a proclamation of the citizenship of a Filipino,
is a document that
is superior to all other official documents. As such, it should be accorded the highest
respect by its holder that to do damage to its integrity and validity is a serious crime that
should be penalized accordingly:
a) Offenses elating to Issuances
b) Offenses Relating to False Statements
c) Offenses Relating to Forgery
d) Offenses Relating to Improper Use
e) Offenses Relating to Multiple Possession
Attitudes/behaviours/virtues observed or learned from relevant experiences
How you perform your work is always different from how you manage your attitude,
everything that I did inside the office , it all comes down to attitude. While having my
internship program , one of the important factors that i I observed is my behavior.
Wherever we go , be it in the office , mall , park or at the school , behavior always matter
. At the office i always keep mind to observe proper behavior. Starting from day one (1) I
always showed respect to the staffs and officers here in MECO, showing respect is not
part of my job but it is always incentive an proper way of interacting or communicating
with other people especially here at the office. Employees' behavior in the workplace is a
critical ingredient in a organization recipe in order to achieve its goals . Disrespectful
and discourteous behavior damages the cohesion of your team. It works against all of the
efforts you make to motivate team members, and thereby raise productivity. With this in
mind, there is simply no excuse for bad manners. Whether you are interacting with a
person higher or lower on the corporate hierarchy, giving feedback, issuing instructions
or exerting power; good manners are an absolute necessity.
Aside from observing proper behavior , it is also part of my routine to always look
presentable and diplomatic. My boss told me that , i I am working for a Embassy and this

is no ordinary office, people here are considered diplomats. My boss told me that
whenever i wake up in the morning before i go to the office , i I must always keep in
mind that i I must always look presentable. I need to train myself at a early age to always
observe proper office attire. Whether you are an intern or an employee, you are always
expected to be professional and to look professional at work. Professionalism is always a
needed irrespective of the type and kind of work
Impact of internship experiences to personal goals
After working her at MECO for only 3 weeks , all I can say is that like the
organization . I like how it operates, the system is just very convenient and I enjoyed my
task here even though I worked here for only three weeks. Work here at MECO is already
included in my choices for my future goals , but I am not sure yet and I still cannot decide
where I want to be after college. I still want to enter law school after graduation , and
continue to pursue my dreams of being a lawyer. The advices of different lawyers I met
here at MECO made me more inspired to pursue my dreams of becoming a successful
Lawyer.

Conclusion (Realizations and Learnings )

Everyday I worked for eight and a half hours in the office starting from 8:30 am
to 6:00 pm . I already reached the total of 52 hours and 30 minutes from the day I started
my OJT until now. I started last April 17 until May 13***
I had learned about the purpose of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office , the
officers introduced me to the companys system. One of the main purpose of M.E.C.O is
to check whether or not foreigners who are applying for visa is allowed to enter our
country , the company have to know if the person would not bring any burden to our
nation , the company have to know if the applicant for visa have no criminal records or
any records that will prohibit him to enter the Philippines.
I learned to affix the visa form of applicants to the passport of different nationals
and I was asked to check and to compare all the applicants data such as whether or not
the applicant is not black listed or do not have any criminal offense . I double checked it
because if the applicant does have any records that can bring burden or danger to our
country , he/she cannot enter the Philippines. The head told me that I must have
knowledge about the Codified Visa Rules because it is applied here in M.E.C.O.
From the things that I have learned as of now , I know this is a advantage for me
that can help me in my future career. I am learning the system of the company , maybe
one day I can work for the company. Here in M.E.C.O every
While having my internship , I already now that everything that I will learn from
it will help me in my future career like when it comes to communicating and having the
proper approach with other people including foreigners .

While having my practicum I observed I have enough confidence when it comes

to approaching and communicating with people and I got that confidence inside the
classroom. When I was assigned to the Legal Affairs section , held by Atty Serge , I was
asked if I have any background or idea about legal forms , and yes I have . He asked me
to make a sample affidavit and good thing I made one correctly. I learned o n how to
make an affidavit inside the classroom in one of my Major subjects. I also assisted in
arranging and authenticating documents and other legal papers
After having my practicum here at Manila Economic and Cultural Offfce , I can
say that I stll have to improve a lot like I must learn and familiarize myself about the
system of M.E.C.O and theyre primary purpose . I still have to have an idea about the
Codified Visa Rules.
I still have enough time in order to learn more while having my practicum that
can help me in my future career and apply the things I learned in school or in the field of
Legal Management.
I was assigned at the Information counter of M.E.C.O along with one of the
officers of M.E.C.O .One of my task is to answer inquiries, give requirments to
applicants regarding renewal of citizenship, and authentication of documents and other
legal matters. This week I was assigned in releasing Philippine e-Passport and foreign
passports with visas which is a part of a consular work. Consular works is very important
to any representative office because data of applicants should be checked properly before
releasing any document. Any discrepancy or error in releasing Philippine e-Passport or
Visa can lead to Legal complaints by applicants or the Immigration Bureau will call the
attention of the consulate or the embassy. This was explained to me by one of the
consular officers for me to have an idea about the importance of the releasing section and
other consular works and a consular work needs to be done precisely and properly
because they cannot take the risk of committing errors. During my second week of
internship I can say that I am already starting to be familiar with the work and the flow of
the Organization. This week I also learned on how they authenticate documents and other
legal works like S.P.As , marriage certificate , birth certificate , renewal of Philippine
Passport and reacquisition of Philippine citizenship.

While having my practicum I know that I am able to apply the things and skills I learned
in school or inside the classroom like when it comes to legal works like affidavits. I can
say that I am doing good at my practicum and I am still looking forward to familiarize
myself even more and learn a lot before I finish my practicum.
After my second week of internship already feel comfortable with the officers and
staff of the organization , they are the ones teaching me about the system and works here
in M.E.C.O and I am hoping that I can work for the organization in the future.
I have improved a lot and had become more effective compared to the first week
of my practicum. I learned new things like when it comes to consular works and giving
assistance in the legal section. The deputy representative of M.E.C.O told me that on I
will have my rotation, being assigned to the different sections of the organization or
office one by one in order for me to know the importance and the real purpose of
M.E.C.O on why they are here in Taiwan ,he wants to make sure that I have learned the
system and the purpose of M.E.C.O before I finish my internship .
During the first 2 weeks of my practicum , I spent more time working in the
Legal Office and Consular Office of M.E.C.O and I indeed learned a lot. I still have one
and a half week to go and I know I need to learn more in order to give me some benefits
in the future
During the 3rd week of my I was assigned at the Legal Office and also at
the Department of Trade , Dapertment of Tourism ,and Labor office. The Deputy head
told me that I have already learned a lot during my first 2 weeks of working her at MECO
, so he transferred me to the attached offices of MECO , the Trade , Tourism and Labor
office. The deputy wants to help me as much as he can , to give me some benefits for my
future career. Department Of trade , I was assigned here , first the Department Of trade
which a attachment office of M.E.C.O held by Sir Benedict Uy , I stayed there during the
third week of my internship. At first Sir Ben gave me a briefing about the purpose of the
Department Of Trade. Its purpose is to attract investments from other countries to the
Philippines , promote the Philippines and allow Philippine Products to enter other

countries.So I joined Sir Ben in meetings with other foreign investors I saw how they
promote our Country. Theyre job here in Taiwan is to promote the Philippines to
Taiwanese Investors and convince Taiwan to allow our products to enter the Taiwan
market and the same with other Philippine Department of Trade offices in other countries
they promote the Philippines to that certain country. What are the advantages of attracting
investors to the Philippines , allowing trade with Taiwan or with other certain countries. It
opens more job opportunity for Filipino people and that is exactly what our country need
right now.
Sir ben asked me to do a research about the law that is being followed by the
department of trade. The department of trade follows the Philippine Foreign Service Act
of 1992 which serves a guide for the Department Of Trade. I was asked to do a Legal
research about this Law and other Laws that M.E.C.O abides with , which I will
including in my final report.
The deputy asked me to do some legal research about the laws that Manila
Economic and Cultural office abides. He wants me to know about the legal matters
related to the organization. Not only did he want me to complet my practicum but he also
wants give me better benefits by assigning me to the different attachment office of
MECO , in order for me to know the other purporses of MECO aside from passporting ,
visas , etc. I learned that MECO also help give more job opportunities to Filipino workers
in Taiwan and in the Philippines , they do this by attracting Taiwanese investors to the
Philippines.
I was also able to apply some of the skills I learned from school which is doing
legal researches , our Lawyer professors at school always ask us to do legal research , so I
think me and my classmates are already used to it so I think that has been one of our
advantages during our practicum and it can help little when we enter law school.
During my 3rd week , I can say that I have contributed to the organization and
have learned a lot , I learned new Laws like the Philippine foreign service act and
Tourism act, I have also learned about the citizenship law which I know can help me a lot
now and in my future career. I am now on close to finishing my practicum and I will

have my last day on Wednesday which is May 13 and I will be leaving Taiwan May 16 in
the evening and will arrive in the morning of May 17. I expect to learn more during my
last three(3) days here at MECO. Ths practicum program is a big opportunity for me and
my classmates, because everything that we have learned , we can apply that to our future
career.
The practicum/internship/OJT program was a big opportunity for me and my
classmates , a opportunity to learn new things , to have the experience we need , to apply
our skills , to learn no skills and to use all of these as an advantage for our future career.
Hera at MECO I was able to learn the mandates and system of a philippine
embassy. I learned how an embassy operates , MECOs purpose is to serve the Filipino
people here at Taiwan and to establish a good image of our country. They attract foreign
investors to the Philippines , to help develop our economy and open more job
opportunities for our fellow countrymen.
Learned new Laws like the Philippine Foreign service act of 1991 and Toursm
act of 2009. I also had a simple application of the citizenship law , because I was
assigned at the passporting section and Philippine passports must be issued only to
Filipino citizens.