07/20/2026
Dear all,
Serving as the Honorary Consul for the Philippines in San Diego County has been one of the greatest honors. As many of you know by now, my final term expires on July 29, 2026.
Over the past 12 years, I have had the privilege of working with two great communities on both sides of the world. San Diego County has one of the largest Filipino populations in the U.S. I thank this community for all the help and support it has shown in building a bridge with the Philippines. I could not have worked with a better community! I thank the San Diego County leaders, family, friends and constituents for their support.
The people of the Philippines are simply amazing. I am grateful my parents taught me, their only American born child, about Filipino values: family, respect, care, and hard work. But the Filipinos back home welcomed me like their own and allowed me to experience those values. After centuries of colonialism, the Philippines is also a model for resiliency - now a major nation, with a fast growing economy, a strong educational system, and some of the brightest and most successful people in all fields. I am honored to be a dual citizen (Philippines-US). Maraming salamat sa mga kababayan.
I give special thanks to the team I worked with: Los Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, Consul General Adel Cruz, and the entire Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines. Salamat po para sa pagkakataong maglingkod!
This is not the end of my journey. Although I will no longer be the "Honorary Consul", I will be here to continue supporting my Fil-Am community and hope to help improve the lives of the Filipinos back home.
Mabuhay po kayo!
Audie de Castro, Consul, a.h.
