WHEREAS, The Republic of the Philippines had a consulate in Seattle, Washington, to serve the large Filipino-American community in the Pacific Northwest; and
     WHEREAS, Washington is a significant trading partner with the Philippines, being the 12th largest trading partner with the Philippines by dollar volume; and
     WHEREAS, There are more than 65,000 Filipino-Americans in Washington state with strong family and commercial ties to the Philippines; and
     WHEREAS, Reestablishing a consulate here will strengthen economic, cultural, and tourism ties to the Philippines; and
     WHEREAS, With the establishment of a Philippine Consulate in the state of Washington we can eliminate the inconveniences of having to travel to San Francisco to obtain visas, trade documents, and other essential consular assistance; and
     WHEREAS, We support the proposal of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to establish a consulate in the Western United States; and, that should such a consulate be established, the location would be in Seattle, Washington;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Washington officially recognize the valuable contribution that a Philippine Consulate could have for the citizens of this state; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the Honorable Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines, Condoleeza Rice, Secretary of State of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.