DFA to open more consular offices

CEBU, Philippines —  The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will open six more consular offices all over the country, which means the consular office in Cebu will be decongested when it comes to passport online appointments and processing.

"May utos ang pangulo to make everything convenient. So, we are working hard to double our capacity para hindi na matagal ang pagkuha nang appointments," said Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano in an interview with the press.

Cayetano, who graced the recent inauguration of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 2, said that for this year, they target to open eight consular offices and they have only opened two, so far.

 "Six more consular offices will be opened within the year and Cebu will be decongested kasi for the entire Visayas maraming nagpa-appointment sa Cebu," Cayetano said.

 The opening of these eight consular offices, Cayetano said, will lessen the delay in passport processing and passport online appointments.

"Actually once na doon na kayo sa DFA consular office mabilis kumuha ng passport. Ang problema is getting the appointment and the reason is the capacity," said the former senator.

 He cited that their Cebu Consular Office located at Pacific Mall in Mandaue City has a current capacity of only 500 passports applicants per day and they want to increase the capacity by over a thousand.

Cayetano said that their problem is that 20 to 30 percent of those who have appointments failed to show up.

"So, yung E-payment will not be returned to you kung hindi ka dumating na wala kang mabigat na rason. So we are looking at a better show up rate for that," he said.

According to its website, the DFA ePayment Portal is an upgrade to the Online Appointment System that enables passport applicants to pay their passport processing fees through selected payment centers nationwide and eventually through the use of credit and debit cards, or through over-the-counter cash transactions in selected banks.

 Those who are renewing or applying for Philippine ePassports will now be required to prepay the passport processing fees using the DFA ePayment Portal as part of the Online Appointment System. The ePayment will be implemented by August nationwide.

Cayetano said that these additional consular offices, including their "Passport on Wheels" program, will double their capacity and reduce waiting time in the appointment.

  The agency has been criticized for the delay in passport appointment and processing.

Cayetano assured that they are addressing the problem.

"We want to add machines para doon sa mga express lanes para hindi maantala. We want from the time of your appointment in less than one hour tapos na," he said.

 Cayetano also reminded that there is no appointment needed  for OFWs who have sufficient proof of status such as iDOLE Card, valid employment contract and work visa; Senior Citizen with Senior Citizen ID; Person with Disability (PWDs) with PWD ID or visible disability; Solo Parent with Valid Solo Parent ID; Pregnant women with medical certificate and minors seven-year-old and below. — MBG (FREEMAN)