PB backs DFA’s new scheme for passport issuance

The Cebu Provincial Board in a resolution has supported the Department of Foreign Affairs’ issuance of “machine-readable passports”.

This latest method upgrades the process in compliance with international regulations for issuance of passports.

Provincial Board member Wenceslao Gakit, proponent of the resolution, said he hoped that such scheme would also eradicate fake or tampered passports.

The DFA has been expected to enforce next week the new scheme, which entails applicants for passport renewal by this time to apply personally at the DFA-7 office with at least three copies of passport-size photo having a royal blue background. 

An applicant will now have to affix his or her thumbmark on the application in the presence of a consular officer.Then a machine-generated application form will be printed with personal details on it.

The DFA advised applicants to double check personal information indicated on the date sheet before printing because he or she would pay the cost of reprinting due to errors in the application form.

The passport fee is P500 for regular processing,of which a passport is released after 25 working days from application date, or P750 for expedited processing, of which an applicant gets the passport within 15 days.

All applicants are advised to process their passport few weeks ahead of their scheduled travel date, the DFA said.– Gerome M. Dalipe/RAE