Yes, I'd recommend to do consolidations inside the Photos app. This will safer and faster I think.

Plan to do consolidations via windows file explorer but willing to use the Synology equivalent if that would help.

If you move them inside the Photos app, I pretty sure you don't lose the facial recognition and the assignment. 

Not sure what happens if you move from file station or on smb level. I would not try it.

I know that in Moments if I moved files across folders it lost it's facial recognition. I also know that Photos it supposed to be designed more like File Station where sub folders is finally a viable solution but I wanted to know if you do in fact move a file, will you lose the facial recognition of a photo that was manually added to a person previously?

Synology Photos - Moving between folders