DFA opens passport application portal for OFWs

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) opened yesterday its passport application portal for Filipinos working abroad for the first time.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said the new website was launched in partnership with government-accredited recruitment agencies and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

He said the new portal would address some issues concerning applicants who are leaving the country for work for the first time. He said applicants could get an appointment within two days.

“For the past several years, the DFA didn’t allow first time OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) to use the courtesy lane. There’s always a debate at the counter,” Cayetano told reporters during the launch at the DFA Office of Consular Affairs in Parañaque City.

He said the DFA officer would ask for the contract of the applicant as requirement for passport application. 

However, he said the recruitment agency would require an applicant to have a passport first before issuing him a contract.

Some 170 recruitment agencies would be given at least six passport application slots every day.

Cayetano said they are also looking at extending working hours to accommodate more passport applicants.

Meanwhile, Cayetano said they are not likely to bring back the slots reserved for travel agencies for passport renewal and application processing.

“I’m sorry we cannot do that,” Cayetano said.

Travel agencies on Tuesday appealed to the DFA to restore their previously allotted slots.

Cayetano said under the law, the people who are only allowed to be given special lanes for passport applications and renewal are persons with disabilities, pregnant, children below seven years old, senior citizens and OFWs.

Cayetano asked the travel agencies to instead give them a list of their scheduled travel fairs and they would send their “passport on wheels” to their event.

“I think that’s something that we can do,” he said.

Early this week, the DFA deployed mobile passport kiosks around Metro Manila to decongest its consular offices and address the huge backlog of passport applications.