DFA issues IRR on 10-year passport validity

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday issued the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 10928, the law that extends the validity of Philippine passports from five years to 10 years.

According to the IRR, the new passport validity will take effect starting January 1, 2018.

IRR para sa 10-taong validity ng passport inisyu ng DFA @dzbb pic.twitter.com/OnmtQT7pIQ

— Nimfa R. Ravelo (@nimfaravelo) October 26, 2017

Regular passports issued to Filipinos aged 18 and above at the time of application shall be valid for 10 years while those issued to minors shall be valid for five years.

Filipinos must present damaged, expired, or expiring passports to the DFA for cancellation while applying for replacement or renewal. First-time applicants shall also be issued passports with 10-year validity.

The DFA , however, can limit the validity of passports to less than 10 years "whenever the economic interest or political stability of the country requires such restriction," according to the IRR.

It is also mandated to "adopt best practices" to fulfill all provisions of RA 10928 and to make "the passport processing system seamless, convenient and pro-people."

"For these purposes, the Department of Foreign Affairs may, among others, add pages, change materials and enhance security features of the passports. Additional fees will be imposed for the improved passports," the IRR stated.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed RA 10928 in August. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News