Philippine passports (Photo from DFA website)
Sen. Grace Poe is pushing for the inclusion of an “anti-passport price increase” provision in the 2018 budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
In a statement on Sunday, Poe said: “We can add one line which stipulates that the allocation is subject to the condition that the amount DFA will charge for a 10-year passport will not be increased and will remain the same as the fee for the current five-year passport.”
The senator said she would introduce an amendment to the proposed P19.56-billion DFA budget for 2018 when the Senate tackles the department’s spending plan.
The provision, she said, could be imposed as a condition in appropriating P3.1 billion for the purchase of passport booklets next year.
If the number of pages would remain the same, then there would be no reason to jack up the price, Poe stressed.
“Gusto lang nating siguraduhin na ang passport na doble ang haba ng bisa ay hindi magiging doble ang presyo ng pagkuha,” Poe said.
[We want to make sure that a passport that has double the validity period would not cost double.]
She said that for most Filipino travelers the current 44-page passport, 39 pages of which are stampable, would suffice.
“Hindi naman lahat ng Pinoy jetsetter,” Poe said.
[Not all Pinoys are jetsetters.]
“If the DFA will issue a passport that will have more pages, then the best recourse is to maintain the current price, or call for extensive hearings, especially among OFWs, if they plan to charge more,” she added.
According to Poe, about three million Filipinos apply for new passports or renew annually.
“Hindi na kailangang tumubo pa ang ating pamahalaan sa pag-issue ng isang dokumento na kailangan ng ating mga OFWs [overseas Filipino workers] sa kanilang hanapbuhay,” she said. “Higit P1.34 trillion ang remittances nila last year. Ang abot-kayang passport ang sukli natin sa kanilang mga sakripisyo.”
[The government need not profit from the issuance of a document that our OFW need for their work. Their remittances last year amounted to P1.34 trillon. An affordable passport is our reward for their sacrifices.]
The DFA charges P950 for “regular processing,” or passport delivery within 15 working days, and P1,200 for “express processing,” or delivery within seven working days.
Last Aug. 2, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act 10928, which extends the period of validity of a Philippine passport from five to 10 years, except for those of minors which would only have a five-year validity.
/atm