House probe sought versus DFA memo

CEBU, Philippines - A member of the House of Representatives is pushing for an investigation into the cancellation of accreditation of new travel agencies in Cebu.

Alagad Partylist Rep. Rodante Marcoleta has filed a resolution urging the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to look into the memorandum issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Regional Consular Office in Cebu.

Under the DFA memorandum, the agency will no longer renew or accept new applicants for travel agency accreditation in a bid to help passport applicants who could not afford to pay extra charges of the travel agencies and to ensure that passport services are made available at no additional cost to the public.

Marcoleta also asked the House committee to invite the concerned DFA officials, travel agency owners and tourism stakeholders to hear their side.

DFA Regional Consular Office-Cebu officer-in-charge Elias Balawag issued the memorandum on May 7, 2012 in response to the directive of the Office of the Undersecretary for Administration of the DFA central office.

The DFA gave accredited travel agencies only until June 30, 2012 to file passport applications at the Regional Consular Office.

Travel agency owners expressed fear that they may eventually be eased out of their businesses and replaced by service providers chosen by the DFA.

“Travel agency owners and tourism industry stakeholders have called the DFA action highly inconvenient to passport applicants in the province and likewise, onerous and unfair to travel agencies since mostly affected are small businesses,” Marcoleta said.

Marcoleta said passport applicants who do not avail of the travel agency services have to be at the DFA office from 5:00 in the morning up to 5:30 in the afternoon and at times return the next day.

Marcoleta said the DFA memorandum would affect the operation of travel agencies and may even result in retrenchment of personnel or worse, closure of these business establishments.

“There is a need to go into the bottom of this order by the DFA to determine its impact on passport applicants as well as on the viability of small travel agencies,” Marcoleta said. (FREEMAN)