Filipino passport-holders are bemoaning the Philippine passport as being weak in meeting visa application challenges for work and leisure travel abroad.
These complaints were highlighted in the wake of the Henley Passport Index “Q3 2021 Factsheet”, which displayed the Philippines dropping to 82nd place from 74th in the global index of passports.
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This drop means that travelers from the Philippines can only go to 66 countries visa-free.
The Index report, which is considered the authoritative global ranking of passports, covered 199 passports across 227 travel destinations based on global mobility.
However, the drop in ranking also meant extra difficulty in applying for a foreign visa, including months of planning, gathering different requirements, and paying money just to travel abroad.
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The release of this list, witnessed many Filipino passport holders airing their frustrations about the impact of the weaker Philippine passport, while others noted that the ten-year validity of the Philippine passport might not be effective at all.
The ten-year validity of the country’s passport was in accordance with Department Order No. 010-2017 or the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 10928 (2017). (AW)
