The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) under Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano announced opening new additional DFA offices to solve the long-lived problem as regard passport processing.
Last week DFA has come under heavy fire from Filipino netizens — including those working abroad — who want to get or renew their passports, for difficulties in securing appointment slots through the agency’s online facilities.
The DFA’s Facebook page has been flooded with complaints from those who are unable to get appointments earlier than March.
In response, Sec. Cayetano said there will be new DFA offices in the following places this year:
• San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte
• Santiago, Isabela
• Malolos or Meycauayan, Bulacan
• Calamba or San Pablo City, Laguna
• Dasmariñas City, Cavite
• Antipolo, Rizal
• Oroquieta City or Ozamis City, Misamis Occidental
• Tagum, Davao del Norte
Aside from new offices, four mobile passport processing units or “passport-on-wheels” will also make rounds to process additional passports every day.
The DFA currently processes 9,000 passports per day, but with the new offices and passport processing units, that will increase to 15,000.
They will also open additional slots for passport appointment starting January.
“The system is not perfect. It is improving, but it is not enough. We have to do more,” Sec. Cayetano said.
DFA is also planning on opening a call center and launching a mobile app to further address problems as regard passport processing.
