MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that more than 100,000 passport applicants were served by the DFA passport on wheels (POW), or equivalent to four consular offices’ output, since January 2018.
“Through the Passport on Wheels, we are not only able to bring our consular services closer to the people but, more importantly, serve more people, accommodating more than 138,000 applicants since January,” DFA Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement.
The figure was revealed as the agency announced it will step up efforts to meet the public’s consular needs by sending the POW to private and government offices, hospitals, subdivisions and schools nationwide.
The DFA said its capacity to serve more people increased since the POW program was launched to different cities, with the number of its applicants in the last six months already equivalent to the output of four medium-sized consular offices.
The government offices visited by POW were Malacañang, Senate, House of Representatives, Department of Health, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.
Employees of private entities such as GMA Network, Aboitiz and Nestle have also benefited from the POW program.
The DFA also went to hospitals like St. Luke’s Medical Center and Tricity Medical Center, and partnered with homeowners’ association such as Loyola Grand Villas in Quezon City, to hold consular missions.
Last June 30, the POW went to Xavier School and served 1,930 applicants.
Booking POW
Cayetano said any LGU, company, school or organization can avail of a POW service by sending a written request to the Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs of the DFA via email at [email protected].
The letter must specify the estimated number of applicants (minimum of 500 and maximum of 2,000), the name and contact details of the requesting party’s designated Passport Coordinator, and the preferred schedule.
Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Frank Cimafranca said the demand for passports has risen dramatically since 2016.
Cimafranca said the growth rate was primarily driven by the expanding middle class, the availability of affordable plane fares, and the lure of more lucrative employment opportunities overseas.
To meet the demand, the DFA recently opened new consular offices in Tacloban City, San Nicolas in Ilocos Norte, and Santiago City in Isabela, while the DFA Aseana in Parañaque City opened its passport services on Saturdays earlier this year.
The DFA has also increased the daily capacity of all consular offices, expanded the courtesy lanes to sectors who need them most, and arrested and prosecuted fixers and scammers. (PNA)
