DFA-Cebu launches authentication service

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has officially launched its Authentication Services at its Consular Cebu office last Tuesday.

The launched of the authentication services in Cebu will answer the long-standing clamor of the public for the rollout of authentication services in the Visayas.

Authentication services allow Philippine-issued documents, such as birth certificates, academic records, and PRC licenses, to be recognized abroad, a service that would be valuable for Overseas Filipino Workers, businesses and other sectors.

Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino, who was the guest of honor during the launching, has commended the efforts of the DFA for the “leap forward” in the authentication process.

We have been burdened by the previous three-step process for authentication for decades - not only was it costly, it was very time-consuming for the people, he said.

"It truly is remarkable that we now have the authentication through Apostille. The Apostille Convention has been around for more than 50 years and only on the 14th of May this year did we become a party to the convention - during this administration, under the leadership of President Duterte," he said.

The OPAV chief said that this is a milestone because the painstaking traditional three-step authentication process has now become a streamlined two-step Apostillization which only costs P100 for regular processing that would only take four working days.

Dino was also elated that the DFA, after having launched five authentication service sites in Luzon, finally brought it to the Visayas and the first one here in Cebu.

He said that this is a good thing because Cebu is the most populated province in the Visayas and the most centrally located.

Dino also hopes that the rest of the DFA offices in the Visayas will also be launching their respective authentication services in order to cater to our brothers and sisters in the other regions, and that they would not have to travel far.

Since the start of this administration, he said, there’s a lot of changes in the government’s bureaucracy and that the president is determined that his plans and programs for the people will be carried out during his term.

Dino said the president has always emphasized that he and all of his fellow workers in government are mere servants of the Filipino people.

"As such, he has committed that this administration will make sure that the people are well-served," Dino said.

He added that that last year, the president signed Republic Act no. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act.

He said that this is a significant piece of legislation in the fight against corruption and thrust towards improving government service delivery and has greatly reduced the incidence of government red tape and at the same time, government services are now being streamlined. (FREEMAN)