Dubai, UAE—The Philippines Consulate has rolled out a new passport data-capturing machine that is expected to speed up the processing of Philippine passports.
“Three new machines have arrived from Manila and we tested one on 30 passport applicants on Sunday. It is still in the trial stage, and we would like to know how the hardware will perform,” Consul Ferdinand Flores told Khaleej Times. “We’re highly optimistic that the new system will enable faster passport application processing times, since it uses the latest software.
“The new machine uses the latest Windows Operating System and comes with a digital SLR camera for photo capture. Its new security feature scans the thumb and index fingers, compared to the previous machine that uses an old Windows OS, low resolution digicam and one-finger biometric scanner,” Flores added.
The officials tested the machine with 30 passport applicants along with the three old machines currently used at the consulate that can handle 350 applications per day.
The new machine can push capacity to up to 380 per day, or even more in the long run, depending on its performance, reported Gulf News.
Some 30 of the more than 80 Philippine missions worldwide were given the new machines to test. The embassy in Abu Dhabi received one as well, in addition to its two old machines, but the embassy will roll out the new one in August.
“The new machine works faster because it has the latest software available. Our provider has also promised to do regular system updates on it to ensure efficiency,” Vice Consul Von Ryan Pangwi told Gulf News.
The embassy processes up to 120 passport applications a day that could extend up to 160 for those with emergency cases. Pangwi said the new machine could reduce the processing time by half, but it will all depend on the volume of applicants.
A global online appointment system for passport applications will also be launched in the UAE later this year, following its release in the Philippines last month.
