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                           ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4015

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State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By House Committee on State Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Veloria, Wineberry, Leonard, Johanson, Wang, Chandler, Miller, Wood, Shin, Quall, Rayburn, J. Kohl, Kessler, Dyer and Anderson)

Read first time 03/03/93.

Requesting the Philippines to keep its consulate open.

          TO THE HONORABLE WARREN CHRISTOPHER, SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE UNITED STATES:

          We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, There exists a long history of warm relations between the people of Washington and the Philippines, of personal friendships, and family ties; and

          WHEREAS, Washington is greatly honored that the Philippines chose to open a Consulate in our state; and

          WHEREAS, The Pacific Northwest and the Philippines are neighbors in the Pacific Rim with a shared economic future; and

          WHEREAS, The Philippine Consulate has played a critical role in trade between the Philippines and Washington State; and

          WHEREAS, The Philippines conducted over two hundred twenty-five million dollars worth of waterborne trade with the Port of Seattle in 1991; and

          WHEREAS, The Philippines are a major buyer of Washington wheat and other agricultural products; and

          WHEREAS, Exports from the Philippines to Washington State reached almost five hundred million dollars in 1991, representing a nearly three hundred million dollar trade surplus in favor of the Philippines; and

          WHEREAS, The estimated sixty-five thousand Washington State residents of Philippine descent are closely linked to the Consulate and raised over thirty-seven thousand dollars for the victims of the Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruption; and

          WHEREAS, The Filipino community in Washington State is growing at a rate in excess of one thousand persons per year; and

          WHEREAS, We look forward to the months and years ahead as the people of the Philippines and Washington continue to build a firm foundation of business and personal ties to create a better future for our children;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the United States Department of State seek through diplomatic efforts to encourage the Philippine government to allow its Seattle Consulate to remain open, and to consider downsizing staff and office space to cut costs instead of closing the Consulate.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Warren Christopher, Secretary of State of the United States and to His Excellency Fidel Ramos, President of the Republic of the Philippines.

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