By John Rey Saavedra/PNA
CEBU CITY — The two mega vans of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that are stationed here for the agency’s mobile passport program will make sure that the constitutional right to travel will be a convenient reality for every Filipino, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said on Monday.
“It is my great pleasure to be here in Cebu today and to take the opportunity to launch the DFA’s Passport on Wheels mega vans, in our quest to bring passport services closer to the people of Cebu,” Locsin said in his speech during the launch of the program at SM Seaside, South Road Properties (SRP) here.
The two vans will be stationed at the location for a month, starting Monday, to augment the operations of the DFA Consular Office in Mandaue City and open up more passport appointment slots for applicants from Cebu, Locsin said.
“We know that our kababayans in Cebu have been patiently waiting for this day. This is our way of telling you that we pay attention to your requests and we do our best to extend much needed service to the public,” he said.
Each mega van has eight data capturing machines that can serve as many as 1,000 applicants per day or twice the capacity of a regular van, Locsin said.
Enabled with mobile WIFI, Locsin said that a mega van allows DFA personnel to conduct mobile passport services even in areas with no regular information technology facilities.
“It is fast, efficient, resilient, and accessible, service qualities that we in the DFA value and uphold. It can traverse whatever terrain and reach remote places in the country to make sure that the Filipino’s constitutional right to travel is not just a pipe dream but a convenient reality,” he said.
Since last year, he said that lthe DFA has served 284 sites and issued 218,266 passports under the program.
“Building on this momentum, the department worked on adding two mega vans to the existing fleet of eight regular vans,” Locsin said.
He thanked the office of Presidential Assistant for the Visayas for its “generosity in helping DFA” in rolling out the Passport on Wheels program in Cebu.
“I extend special thanks to Secretary Michael Dino, who has been on top of preparations for this project, together with our colleagues from the Consular Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs, as well as to APO for the mega vans and to SM for hosting this activity here at the SM Seaside City.”
In August last year, DFA conducted the first Passport on Wheels at Oakridge Pavillion, A.S. Fortuna Street in Mandaue City.
Locsin said he may conduct another off-site processing of passport in Cebu when there is a request.
He added that he is planning to expand the consular office in Mandaue City.
