PHL passport applications in UAE can now be tracked online

Instead of waiting at long lines, Filipinos applying for electronic passports in the United Arab Emirates can now track the progress of their applications online. The initiative of the Consulate General is expected to benefit some 400,000 Filipinos based in Dubai and the northern emirates, the news site Gulf News reported. Consul General Benito Valeriano urged Filipinos to monitor their passport applications online at http://passport.pcgdubai.net/ instead of calling the embassy about it. Passport applicants will be asked to enter their first and late names, and the date of application. However, the consulate clarified that "only passports applied on and after 01 February 2011 are available for tracking." "Status of applications made before this date can be checked by writing to mrpdxb@yahoo.com," it said. The Gulf News report said the e-tracking does not eliminate the need to wait for several weeks to get the passport renewed but it offers relief to Filipinos who otherwise would have to line up outside the consulate. - VVP, GMA News