Issuance of E-passports begins Monday

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) regional office here said Sunday that it will start issuing E-passports to make passport documents compliant with international standards.

DFA Regional Director Asuncion Florentin said the agency will start the issuance of the E-passport by Quota System Monday, March 8.

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Some 400 applicants will be serviced daily through appointments, walk-ins, phone calls and e-mails.

Appointments may be coursed through the numbers (045) 455-2475 (8 a.m. to 11 a.m. only) or through the e-mail address: rcopampappointments@yahoo.com.

Florentin said an E-passport is a passport that features microchip technology. An integrated circuit within its pages contains the data that are essential in verifying the identity of the passport holder.

These data include the personal data found on the data page of the passport, the biometrics of the passport holder, the unique chip identification number, and a digital signature to verify the authenticity of the data stored on the chip.

“The chip technology allows the information stored in an E-passport to be read by special chip readers at a close distance,” Florentin said.

The issuance of the E-passport makes the Philippines compliant with international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization, of which it is a member.

Filipino travelers and migrant workers stand to benefit the most from the globally-compliant E-passport currently being used in over 60 countries.

The Philippine E-passport will be available for a fee of P950, and overtime processing set at P1,200, making it one of the lowest-priced E-passports in the world. (Ian Ocampo Flora)