DFA consular offices in non-ECQ areas to resume ops on May 4, to adopt 'new normal'

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Saturday said some consular offices in areas not under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) will resume operations on Monday, May 4.

These include consular offices in Cotabato, La Union, Puerto Princesa, Santiago and Tuguegarao.

Due to the extension of the ECQ in Luzon until May 15, other consular offices in Luzon will still be closed.

The DFA said its consular offices in Visayas and Mindanao (Butuan, Dumaguete, General Santos, Tacloban and Clarin in Misamis Occidental) have been open for most or all of the quarantine period.

However, since Misamis Occidental is under general community quarantine (GCQ) until May 15, those who will go to the Clarin consular office from outside the province must secure passes from the provincial government.

Passports applicants who are residents of Misamis Occidental and with confirmed appointments in Clarin from Feb. 16 onward should secure first a Provincial Personal Business Trade Pass issued by the provincial government through its local government units. 

Those who reside outside Misamis Occidental and with confirmed appointments in Clarin from Feb. 16 onward will have to undergo a mandatory body temperature check and subject themselves to inquiry regarding their travel history at the province's borders in Sapang Dalaga and Bonifacio. They must also present a Department of Health certification saying they are not a person under monitoring/person under investigation for COVID-19; a printed passport application packet; and a valid government ID for them to be issued a provincial border pass.

'New normal'

The DFA said "new normal" measures will be implemented in its consular offices to ensure public safety.

Walk-in applications at consular offices will be suspended in GCQ areas.

Physical distancing will be strictly observed and volume of applicants accommodated will be strictly regulated.

Everyone will have to schedule an appointment via email to apply for passport issuance or renewal, even those coursed through the courtesy lane and the Diplomatic and Official Passports Section.

The DFA also encouraged applicants to avail of online payment and delivery of passports.

"Applicants aged 60 and above, as well as those considered by the DOH to be vulnerable, are advised not to proceed with their applications for consular services at this time. However, in cases of urgent need, they may wish to coordinate with the Office of Consular Affairs further on how they may be accommodated," the DFA said.

Applicants will also have to wear facial masks and have their temperature checked before they are allowed inside consular offices.

“We seek the understanding of the public as we shift to a 'new normal' process so that we can minimize potential health hazards for applicants and our personnel alike while ensuring the prompt and efficient delivery of consular services to the public,” Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Neil Frank Ferrer said. —KG, GMA News