Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Friday his department will not be charging an extra fee for the new 10-year validity passport.
In a press briefing, Cayetano said the Department of Foreign Affairs will not increase the price of a 10-year passport unless an applicant asks to double its pages, in which case it will be at his or her own expense.
Cayetano told the reporters during the official launching of 10-year validity passport the DFA will use the current electronic passport booklets and that the design, security features, and even the number of pages will remain the same.
“The only thing changing is the additional ink on page one, because the 10 years [mark] will replace the five years,” he added.
The current P1,200 fee for “express” processing of a passport within 10 working days and the P950 regular processing fee for 20 working days still apply, Cayetano said.
Passport “fixers” may still exist, but the secretary denied accusations of existing syndicate involving some travel agencies and DFA employees, who take advantage of Filipinos who could not secure appointments for a passbook application.
Cayetano said it would be “impossible” that DFA employees are involved, per allegations posted over various Facebook accounts.
He explained that syndicates do not exist because they have already taken out the passport schedule allotment for DFA employees and government officials. The department has also removed the 1,200 slots in DFA-Aseana previously reserved for travel agencies.
“There are no allotment since five months ago,” he said.
He added that those syndicate may be taking advantage the express lane for pregnant, senior citizens, children, people with disability, OFWs, and solo parents.
“We have also cancelled 50,000 bogus appointments. The cancellation of bogus appointments has enabled the DFA to open more passport appointment slots to the public,” he said.
An unnamed complainant wrote that her husband should renew his passport but could mot secure any passport renewal schedule with the DFA.
The couple asked around and found several travel agencies offering passport appointments in exchange of a fee.
“When I asked how it is possible for them to secure those appointments without any applicant yet, U was told that they are being assisted by some DFA employees to block the schedules and in turn, they pay them,” she wrote.
But Cayetano defended that in making an appointment through the official website, you cannot transfer the schedule to another person since you could not change the name of the original person who set the schedule.
“Nanawagan ako sa publiko na i-sumbong kung meron nanghihingi ng pera…I can remove anyone if I got credible information na involved sila sa anomalya, (but) kung suspicion lang mauubusan tayo ng tao,” he said. passport applications starting Jan. 3 shall be issued passports that are valid for 10 years so long as the applicant is not a minor.
Under the new Philippine Passport Act (Republic Act 10928), applicants who are below 18 years old will still be issued passports valid for five years.
President Duterte signed the Philippine Passport Act last August 2, as part of his administration’s promise.
The implementation of the law that extended the validity of Philippine passports from five to 10 years, except for applicants who are minors, was delayed by five months.