Need passport? Go to the mall

5:51 am | Saturday, October 29th, 2011

Filipinos planning to go abroad may soon apply for passports at malls.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday announced that it will soon start moving its regional consular offices to shopping malls around the country in a bid to improve passport services, and save the government millions of pesos as well.

“With this move, the DFA is taking a big leap forward as it can now more effectively deliver consular services to the public in modern, more applicant-friendly settings at very little cost to the government,” DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a statement.

He said he expects to begin transferring the first of nine regional and extension offices to some of the country’s leading malls that are covered under Private-Public Partnership arrangements before the end of the year.

“This is expected to save the government over P250 million in the next 10 years,” he added.

The DFA has entered into Memorandums of Agreement with the Gokongwei-owned Robinsons Land Corporation and the Gaisano-owned Pacific Mall Corporation for the transfer and hosting of an initial six of the 18 existing DFA regional consular and extension offices and two new regional offices.

Del Rosario said the arrangements will help the government realize savings of more than P25 million annually in rent and other operating expenses.

He added that negotiations are also ongoing with other mall developers for the transfer and hosting of the remaining regional consular offices as well as the opening of new passport extension offices in Metro Manila.

Serving as many as 10,000 persons daily, the DFA’s regional offices have so far generated P568.5 million in income this year, compared to P954.6 million recorded in 2010.

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Tags: Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario , Gaisano Mall , Passport application and renewal , Robinson’s Mall

http://pinoy-politics.blogspot.com Monsi Serrano

Wow, this is a good move. Kudos to DFA!

I just hope you won’t include SM, otherwise even the Chinese from Mainland China will suddenly have Filipino passport. The sad part there is when you talk to them even if they hold Filipino passports they’ll say, “No Tagalog” or “No English” when you talk to them. :-)
Anonymous

Definitely good move for DFA… last time ako nag apply way back 2007 pag kahaba-haba ng pila sa DFA ang init pa atleast kung sa mall medyo convenient.. sana man lang mga Q number system din para puweding pasyal2x nalang muna sa mall para di mainip ang applikante… at next year renew na naman ng passport pero sa embassy nalang sana naman not same experience before…

Next Move ~ e outsource ang ganito pag government agency kasi mismo ang gumagawa ang kukupad ng mga empleyado,…. di talaga natin maasahan ang serbisyo ng isang government agencies may corruption na nga di pa acceptable level of services mga ito.. I think our kababayan don’t mind paying extra amount as long as high quality naman ang service….
Anonymous

Good idea in the US you can get your passport at any Post office
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OG76WP2CPSNITZLD2VX6MAKQCQ Mandrezaldi

PRAISE THE LORD!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OG76WP2CPSNITZLD2VX6MAKQCQ Mandrezaldi

PRAISE THE LORD! TO GOD BE THE GLORY! IT’S ABOUT TIME WITH 7 BILLION INHABITANTS ON THIS PLANET, THE PHILIPPINES (94 MILLION ALREADY) SHOULD ALWAYS BE UPDATED WITH CURRENT GLOBAL PROGRESS!
Frances Deniel

Only the location will be changed. Hopefully the services too.
Anonymous

Tama ka na dyan DFA…Puro lang kayong haw siao…KUNG MERON MAN OPISINA – WALA NAMANG PAPEL O KESYO NASIRA ANG EQUIPMENT…marami lang kayong dahilan…Mag me media blitz kayo nang E PASSPORT tapos wala yung SAngkap NANG E PASSPORT DAHIL KULANG ANG SUPPLY?
To the Secretary :
1. WHY IS THAT EMBASSY OFFICIALS IN FOREIGN COUNTRY ARE AVAILING THE HOLIDAYS OF THE COUNTRY AND THAT OF THE PHILIPPINES AS WELL?
Are these officials working or touring to foreign country?- for example here in Cambodia, yung embassy dito pag Legal Holiday SARADO sila at pag HOLIDAY din sa PINAS ay holiday din sila…ANO SILA SINESWERTE?
Ricci Santiago

baka renewal lang yan…..
Anonymous

Good move ito sa mga mall dahil accessible talaga sa mga tao. Sana kahit sa mga SM and Gaisano malls sa mga provincia ay mag-offer na rin.

Pero mga kababayan, mag-ingat pa rin po kayo sa mga mall at baka gamitin ang extension ng consular/passport ng DFA ng mga balasubas na mga taga insurance companies like FAMILY FIRST INC, a Philippine subsidiary of Berkley Plans International, who are very sweet talking and high-pressure salesman yet very coercive para makita ang number ng bank card mo or credit card.
Anonymous

Please lang DFA!!!! ISSUE PASSPORTS WITH 10 YEARS EXPIRATION to lessen dealing with you. US passports and other countries have a 10 year passport expiry.,,why can’t you do that even if you double the cost, so we won’t be burden with the time and expense going to your place. ONE MORE THING IS YOU REDUCE THE PROCESSING TIME TO AT LEAST A WEEK SO WE WON’T BE BOTHERED IF WE WILL LOSE OUR JOB OVERSEAS DUE TO PROCESSING DELAY. BE PRO-ACTIVE PEOPLE.

Need passport? Go to the mall

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