by Vir B. Lumicao
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| Cayetano promises Filipinos in HK that the new 10-year passport will be 'cheaper, faster' for OFWs |
Newly appointed Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano has
said that the new Philippine passport with 10-year validity will be made
available to overseas Filipino workers “cheaper and faster”.
Cayetano made the statement during a public forum at the
Consulate on July 2, a day after attending the 20th anniversary
celebration of Hong Kong’s Handover to China .
Addressing about 250 Filipino community leaders at the
meeting, Cayetano brushed aside earlier reports attributed to the Department of
Foreign Affairs that the new passport will cost double the current fee of $480
(US$60).
However, he did not disclose the exact intended cost, saying
it was still under negotiation.
The bill extending the validity of Philippine passports from
five to 10 years was ratified by both houses of Congress on May 16, and is now
with the Office of the President for signing before it becomes law. The new
passports will be issued after the Implementing Rules and Regulations for the
new law take effect.
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| About 250 Filcom leaders attended the forum |
Cayetano said the new passports will come with a smart cart
where the details of the holder are embedded. They can thus be renewed without
the holder going through the same application process, except if they are under
18 years old. The passport validity for this age group will still be five
years.
Cayetano brought along with him two additional data-capture
machines which he said would speed up the Consulate’s processing of passport
applications. Currently, the Consulate has four such machines, which can
process a maximum of 220 applications on Sundays, the busiest day of the week.
Responding to complaints about the offloading at Philippine
airports of many OFW family members planning to visit Hong
Kong , Cayetano said he would take up the issue with Justice
Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre the next day, Monday.
