Photo Release

PRA DELEGATION MEETS WITH CONSUL GENERAL TO DISCUSS PHILIPPINES’ RETIREMENT PROGRAM

Consul General Melanie Rita B. Diano met with General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Roberto Zozobrado of the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) at the Consulate General on 10 November 2026. Mr. Zozobrado was accompanied by PRA officials Mr. Vernon Viloria and Mr. Valerio Dionisio, as well as Ms. Maria Corazon Jorda-Apo, Tourism Attaché of the Philippine Department of Tourism in New York. The Consul General was joined by Consul Melvin Almonguera and Consul Ella Karina Mitra-Yeager.

The PRA delegation briefed the Consul General on the growth of the Philippines’ retirement industry and the agency’s efforts to attract more foreign retirees. They cited the Philippines’ recognition as Best Retirement Destination in Asia at the 2025 TripZilla Excellence Awards and its ranking as the world’s No. 1 retirement destination in the 2026 Retirement Abroad Index published by London-based Expatriate Group. They also discussed initiatives to make retiring in the Philippines more convenient, including arrangements to help retirees manage their existing health insurance coverage, and plans to move most of the Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) application process online by 2027.

Consul General Diano expressed the Consulate General’s readiness to help promote the SRRV across its 12-state jurisdiction in the U.S. Midwest. She noted the potential of working with Filipino-American organizations, business groups, and other community networks to reach more prospective retirees and raise awareness of the Philippines as a retirement destination.

The PRA will hold the Philippine Retirement Forum: Planning Your Retirement in the Philippines on 11 and 12 November 2026, starting at 5:00 p.m., at the Seafood City Community Room in Chicago. END