GMA wants Philippine passport validity extended

MANILA, Philippines – Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wants the validity of Philippine passports lengthened to 10 years.

She has filed House Bill 487 seeking to amend Section 10 of Republic Act 8239, the Philippine Passport Act of 1996.

Arroyo said Article III Section 6 of the Constitution states that the right to travel shall not be impaired except in the interest of national security, public safety or public health as may be provided by law.

“This bill therefore seeks to enhance the Filipinos’ unimpaired exercise of their constitutional right to travel by increasing the validity of regular passports issued from five years to 10 years,” she said.

“A five-year passport validity is rather too short, given the tedious process and cost it requires to obtain or renew a passport.”

Regular passports shall be valid for a period of 10 years, provided that the issuing authority may limit the period of validity to less than 10 years whenever in the national economic interest or political stability of the country such restriction is necessary; “provided that a new passport may be issued to replace one which validity has expired, the old passport shall be returned to the holder after cancellation.”

Her filing of the bill came after President Duterte ordered all government agencies to cut red tape and eliminate queuing by the public seeking services.