DFA able to process 438 passports via mobile service

The Department of Foreign Affairs was able to process a total of 438 passports during their mobile service conducted only this month of May 2005.

DFA Regional Director Liza Jane Estalilla in an interview Wednesday morning said that the number might be insignificant as compared to the throng of people who came during the conduct of their mobile passport service in the provinces of Iloilo and Negros Occidental who were advised though to first comply with all the needed documentary requirements.

Estalilla said that last May 1 they had the mobile passport service in the town of Pavia, Iloilo followed by another one last May 24-25 in the town of Escalante and still another one on May 27-28 in the town of Binalbagan, both of Negros Occidental.

She said that these mobile passport services were conducted in time for the holding of the jobs fair by these local government units (LGUS).

The DFA however was only able to process 438 passport applications mostly of which are for Overseas Filipino Workers because of the lacking documents and the need for National Statistics Office to authenticate their birth certificates and marriage contracts.

Estalilla said she is proposing to LGUs to arrange next time an earlier schedule with the NSO so that the needed documents can already be authenticated before the mobile passport service will be conducted. This she said would assure applicants that their passport documents are already ready for processing.

She said that in Negros Occidental where they are being frequently requested, it has been found out that the mobile passport service is most helpful for it enables an applicant to save P1,000 to P1,500 from transportation and other incidental expenses in going to the DFA Consular Office in Iloilo City.

Estalilla said they have, in fact, already scheduled for Negros Occidental in Victorias City this coming June 10-11, Bago City this June 24-25, and San Carlos City this July 29-30. They will also conduct a mobile passport service in Kalibo, Aklan on July 21-22.

The DFA director said that they are happy to note that the LGUs are now tapping their services with the successive requests they are receiving from them. (PNA)