House OKs bill seeking new Philippine passport law on final reading

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on third and final reading the proposed measure which seeks a new Philippine passport law.

Voting 201-0-0, the lower chamber of Congress approved House Bill 8513, or the proposed "New Philippine Passport Act," repealing for the purpose the Philippine Passport Act of 1996.

This bill aims to harmonize the existing provisions of the existing passport law with the present domestic laws and international agreements which affect the application and issuance of passports.

It also mandates the issuance of passports using tamper-proof and latest data management technology.

One of the key provisions is to simplify the  passport documentation requirements of the Department of Foreign Affairs Office of Consular Affairs in conformity with relevant laws such as the "Domestic Adoption Act of 1998" as well as the "Citizenship and Reacquisition Act of 2003" and existing standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

The bill also wants the DFA to come up with a new system that will allow senior citizens to renew their passports through the help of technology, without having to appear personally appearance.

It further gives senior citizens and persons with disability a 50% discount on the processing, issuance, or replacement of passports.

The measure also allows the DFA to charge no more than 50% of the current passport fees to be used for the improvement of its passporting and consular services.

The bill also authorizes the issuance of other travel documents based on the following circumstances:

• Emergency Travel Document issued to a Filipino citizen who needs to travel urgently but whose passport has either lost or expired, or cannot be issued a regular one;
• Travel Document Certificate for Filipinos to be repatriated, alien, spouse of a Filipino and their dependents, who are yet to be naturalized and aliens permanently residing in the Philippines; and
• Convention  Travel Document for stateless persons, refugees, and or asylums in the Philippines.

 — BM, GMA News