DFA conducting inventory of its properties abroad

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is conducting an inventory of all its properties abroad, some of which are in premium locations.

DFA Undersecretary Domingo Nolasco reported this at yesterday’s hearing of the House committee on appropriations on its P27.15-billion budget allocation for 2025.

Asked by the panel’s senior vice chair and Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo about the value of DFA properties overseas, Nolasco said the agency is currently doing an appraisal and inventory of the properties as part of the requirements of the Commission on Audit.

“We are currently undergoing the … cleansing of our properties because most of our properties are still recorded in the acquisition cost, like $14,000, but the actual value now is much more,” he noted.

He said that the DFA currently owns 68 properties including 30 chanceries, 20 official residences, two Philippine Mission Offices, three Philippine Centers, four vacant lots and four others.

Among these properties are the Philippine embassies in Washington in the US; Paris, France; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Seoul, South Korea.

Nolasco said an inventory team is doing the appraisal based on “tax assessment by tax authorities.”

“In some places like in Europe, the land and building are considered as one so we even have to get the services of professionals to segregate the cost of land and building,” he said.

Quimbo said it might be more practical for a “small office in super premium properties” to be sold and then move to another place.

“But of course, I don’t want you to lose a home. What I am saying is that we want you in dignified places because you represent us and you are doing a really good job,” she added.

At the same hearing, DFA Undersecretary Teresa Lazaro said it is reviewing the necessity of having a third-party provider to help facilitate applications for new and renewal passports.

Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas questioned the “additional fees” that passport applicants have to pay when applying for new or renewal passports.

It turned out that the fees are charged by the Virtual Service Facility (VSF) and another company that facilitates such applications.

Lazaro underscored that going through VSF is not mandatory as applicants have the option to apply directly with the DFA or consular offices.

According to the DFA official, the agency tapped the two Indian-owned companies when they were overwhelmed with the huge number of passport applicants.

However, she noted that there has been a decrease in passport applications after DFA started issuing passports with 10-year validity.

“Maybe we’ll have a discussion on the possibility (of stopping VSF services). It has not been discussed, but there will be a possibility for future discussion,” she said.