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MANILA, Philippines?Fifty-five percent of some 4,000 people who apply for passport every day have availed of the appointment system at the new consular building since Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday.
The new system, which started full blast on March 8, allows applicants with complete supporting documents to finish the whole application process in 30 minutes.
The DFA has streamlined the application process and added service windows. (In the passport data-capturing section alone, service windows have been increased from 12 to 60.)
Passport applicants with appointments for that day are immediately ushered to the processing area to have their documents examined. They then proceed to the second floor to pay the passport fees.
After paying, applicants will go to the data-capturing section where their photo, thumb mark, and signature are taken in one of the 60 data-capturing windows. It takes only around six minutes to have their biometrics taken.
The new appointment system has been getting positive reviews, the DFA said.
?I think this is great, really GREAT! It will lessen the crowd going to the DFA, It will lessen the risk of being fooled by fixers and it will also lessen the chance of applicants going back and forth to the DFA because of problems regarding their application like lack of requirements,? one forum post in the Motorcycle Philippines website stated.
The DFA recently opened to the public the new consular building located in Bradco and Macapagal Avenues in Aseana Business Park, near the Mall of Asia. The new facility is the home of the ePassport, electronic authentication system, electronic visa system, and digitalized consular records system.
The DFA reminds passport applicants to avail of the appointment system to ensure quick and comfortable service. Applicants can check the passport requirements and secure an appointment by logging in at this website or calling hotline (02) 737-1000 which is open 24 hours. They may also call the DFA help lines at telephone numbers (02) 831-8971, (02) 551-4437, (02) 551-4402, (02) 834-4855 and (02) 834-4424, during office hours.
Applicants are no longer required to bring photographs since they will have their pictures taken using ePassport data-capturing machines.
There are also a total of 18 DFA Regional Consular Offices spread around the country providing consular services to Filipinos outside Metro Manila.
?Filipinos who reside in the provinces need not come to Manila to get a passport. They only have to go to the DFA regional office nearest to them and avail of the same fast and efficient services,? Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said.
The 18 regional offices are located in Bacolod, Baguio, Batangas City, Butuan, Cagayan De Oro, Cebu City, Cotabato, Davao, General Santos City, Iloilo City, Legaspi, Lucena, Puerto Princesa, San Fernando in La Union, San Fernando in Pampanga, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, and Zamboanga.
