MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said a total of 25,645 passport applicants have been served since the launch of the Passport on Wheels (POW) last January 15.
In the last 45 days, the POW has been to 12 cities, eight municipalities, and an office of a government-owned and -controlled corporation.
To date, the DFA said POW delivered services as far north in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte and Capas, Tarlac, and down south in Bay, Laguna and Silang, Cavite. In the National Capital Region, POW teams delivered in the cities of Las Piñas, Manila, Muntinlupa, Marikina, Caloocan, Pasig, Mandaluyong, and Navotas. A POW team also catered to the employees of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas main office in Manila.
In an update on its efforts to improve passport service, the DFA on Monday noted its operations during Saturdays at the DFA-Office of Consular Affairs’s main office in ASEANA, Parañaque City.
With an additional day in its operations every week, at least 3,554 more passport applicants in February have been served.
In an bid to meet the huge demand for 10-year passports, the DFA said it will soon open additional eight consular offices in key cities and provinces, and implement an electronic payment system. (Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA)
