Palace on passport appointment backlog: Gov’t fast-tracking operations

Malacañang on Saturday assured the public that the government is doing efforts to address the backlog in passport application.

"Of course, we understand the frustration of our kababayans. The government through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is exerting efforts now to improve the passport application," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press conference in Cebu City on Saturday.

Roque said the DFA has made several improvements in the passport application system, which include the following:

• Further streamlining the process of passport application
• Improvement in the online appointment system
• Opening of more passports slots to the public - 230,000 additional slots from August to December 2017 through the cancellation of 50,000 bogus appointments, increase capacity of DFA Aseana from 1,900 to 3,300 through the addition of data capturing machines and personnel and removal of 1,200 slots previously reserved for travel agencies
• Opening of additional consular offices outside metro manila
• Deployment of passport on wheels starting January 28 to decongest the consular offices in Metro Manila
• Continue the deployment of weekly mobile passporting services in key locations nationwide and working toawrds the implementation of e-payment system
• Strict implementation of the courtesy lane for those entitled to it by law such as senior citizens and one companion, PWDs, children below 7 years old with parents and siblings, and vissibly pregnant women
• Availability of OFW lane for OFWs with sufficient status such as e-DOLE card, valid employment contract, work visa ,
• Reduction of the automated fingerprint identification system backlog from 33,000 to zero

The DFA has launched the new Philippine passport model with 10-year validity.

President Duterte signed in August last year the law extending the validity of passports from five years to 10 years. —Ted Cordero/ALG, GMA News