Wednesday, January 24, 2007 City to hold mobile passporting
EVALUATION and processing of documents for the public for the coming mobile passporting services on January 27 is still ongoing at the City Administrator's Office (CAO).
The services are being done in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Regional Consular Office based in La Union, and the City of Baguio.
DFA personnel will do the evaluation and processing of documents on Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., while release of passports starts Saturday afternoon and on Sunday morning at the same venue.
The services, spearheaded by the Office of the City Mayor and the CAO headed by Peter Fianza, aims to ease difficulties and expenses of applicants in traveling to the DFA regional office in San Fernando, La Union.
The city-sponsored mobile service is the first for this year, after the issuance of more than 2,000 passports in passporting services, done in March, July and November 2006.
One thousand applications were processed each time, same as what will be pre-evaluated for January 27. Application forms are now issued at the CAO where pre-evaluation of documents is also being done.
Pre-evaluated forms will then be assigned chronologically arranged numbers for processing where 700 applications are being targeted for full processing, from the usual 600 passports being processed during last year's passporting.
Applicants assigned numbers one to 200 will be catered to at 8 a.m. on January 27, with the processing of batches of 50 persons until the quota of 600 is completed. Thereafter, batches of 10 applicants will be processed as time allows.
Applicants are required to bring with them upon pre-evaluation birth certificate in security paper issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) or certified true copy and photocopy issued by the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) duly authenticated by the NSO and documents indicating full name, date and place of birth and citizenship. These documents may be valid employment ID, voter's affidavit, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance, and drivers license.
Three copies of 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm new photo (colored with plain background), with the applicant in decent attire with collar are also required.
All other additional documents will be required for married women, illegitimate or legitimate minor children, legally adopted children, and minors traveling with a parent or guardian.
For individuals born on or before 1950, requirements include the certification of non-availability of birth record from the NSO, joint birth affidavit signed and executed by two disinterested people, and baptismal certificate, voter's affidavit or other public document with place and date of birth and citizenship.
Other requirements that may be requested are Social Security System (SSS) form or digitized ID, baptismal certificate, income tax return (ITR), school form 137 or transcript of records, Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Seaman's book, marriage contract, Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) ID, and Postal ID.
Processing fees for new passport application is P600 with additional P250 for the expedited processing, a total of P850 to be paid after the processing of documents.
It was noted that more applicants prefer to apply for or renew their passports here in the city.
DFA officer-in-charge Eriberto Castillo said the mobile passporting program is in line with the commitment of the consular office to enforce, the delivery of frontline services "promptly, extensively and closer to the people."
Applicants are advised not to bring along with them friends or children, as they will not be allowed entry into the processing area. Elderly applicants, however, will be given consideration in the processing.
Arrangements for the passporting services were made possible through acting Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr., acting Vice Mayor Leandro Yangot Jr., Councilor Pinky Chan-Rondez, and facilitated by the City Mayor's Office staff, Fianza, General Services Office (GSO), Barangay Affairs Office (BAO), City Treasurer's Office (CTO), City Council, Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), LCR, NSO and NBI. (JF)
