Delay in passport processing seen due to large volume of applicants–DFA

DFA Assistant Secretary and spokesman Charles Jose. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Experienced a delay in the release of your passport? The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday it’s because of the large volume of applicants it is processing.

“There is an experience of a little delay [in the delivery of passports] because of the volume of passport applicants,” DFA spokesman Charles Jose said in a press briefing.

“The machines have difficulty in coping. But our consular affairs office is doing everything to address the situation and make sure that we are able to deliver on the date that we promised to release the passports,” he said.

Last March 2014, the DFA announced a delay in release of passports due to a scheduled technical maintenance of the e-passport system.

At the main consular office in Aseana, Pasay, and satellite offices, the release period of 7 to 15 days was lengthened to 10 to 20 working days.

Regional consular offices release periods were lengthened to 15 to 25 days from the original 10 to 20 days.

The three to four weeks passport releasing period in Philippine embassies and consulates will temporarily take five to six weeks.

The DFA said then that the normal release schedule would be back to normal by April 15.

Jose said that in 2013, 2.7 million passports were processed.

“Currently, 3,000 passports a month are being processed,” he said.

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