As more Cebuanos develop an interest and ability to travel abroad, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Central Visayas reminded new applicants and existing Philippine passport holders to plan ahead their appointments with the agency to avoid additional costs and inconvenience.
“Now that everything is online, you need to plan your travels,” said DFA Central Visayas Acting Director Emmanuel Espineli, in an interview last Friday.
Since DFA redesigned its online appointment system for both passport application and renewal, Espineli has noted more efficiency in service, since applicants no longer have to fall in line as early as dawn to get priority numbers, and there are no more fixers.
“It has made our services a lot better compared with the previous years,” said Espineli. “Plus, it has created a level playing field for everyone.”
DFA announced that it has removed 1,200 passport appointment slots that used to be reserved daily for travel agencies. The slots will be given to regular applicants.
With the growth in the number of Filipinos traveling abroad, Espineli reminded applicants to be mindful of their travel plans and passport expiration so they need not to go to Dumaguete, Tacloban or Mindanao just to secure an appointment.
He also clarified that it is only the DFA central office in Manila that opens the online appointment slot.
Book it
“If you see an available date for appointment then book it right away,” he said. A no-show during the scheduled appointment date would restrict the applicant from applying online for a month.
DFA Cebu serves 420 confirmed online applicants per day excluding senior citizens, persons with disabilities, overseas Filipino workers, solo parents, and minors aged seven and below who have a courtesy lane in the agency.
Passport applicants can check online the available dates for an appointment, which are marked green on the DFA website. Dates that are fully booked, meanwhile, are marked red. The website also has a feedback mechanism to inform applicants if there is a problem with their application.
Regular passport processing, which could take about 20 working days, has a processing fee of P950. Those who want expedited processing (10 working days) are charged P1,200.
A study conducted by Visa, Inc. and released in September 2016 revealed that Filipinos are expected to almost double their travel spending by 2025.
The country ranked 25th among 50 markets that have deep pockets for international travel. The top five economies based on international travel spending are China, the United States, Germany, United Kingdom and Russia.
In Southeast Asia alone, the Philippines trails behind Singapore (7th) and Malaysia (24th).
Visa estimates that Filipino travelers spent a combined $9.9 billion (P465 billion) on outbound travel in 2015. By 2025, travel spending by Philippines will likely increase by 79 percent to $17.7 billion.
The key drivers that shape global travel are a growing middle class, greater internet connectivity, improved transportation infrastructure across countries, and an aging global population that has more time for leisure travel, the Visa study noted.
Recently, the DFA signed the implementing rules and regulation of the new Philippine Passport Act, which President Rodrigo Duterte signed last Aug. 2, extending the passport validity from five years to 10 years at no additional cost.
The 10- year validity will be effective on Jan. 1, 2018. (KOC)