THE House of Representatives on Monday night approved on third and final a measure seeking to extend the validity of Philippine passports to 10 years from the present five years.
The Lower House voted to pass House Bill 4767 with an overwhelming vote of 216 lawmakers.
The bill, principally authored by Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, amends Section 10 of the Philippine Passport Act of 1996 by extending the validity of the Philippine passport from five years to 10 years.
The bill shall apply to all Filipino citizens, including minors, who have been issued Philippine passports.
The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier endorsed enactment of the measure which will conform “to international best practices.”
Arroyo, a deputy speaker, said the c––urrent five-year passport validity was “rather too short given the tedious process and cost it requires to obtain or renew a passport.”
The Philippine Passport Act defines passport as “a document issued by the Philippine government to its citizens and requesting other governments to allow its citizens to pass safely and freely, and in case of need to give him/her all lawful aid and protection.”