Migrants press for printing of PH passports in post

Philippine passport (Photo from http://riyadhpe.dfa.gov.ph/newsroom/press-releases/2284-philippine-embassy-extends-183-484-consular-services-in-2015)

MIGRANT domestic workers in Hong Kong are pressing the Philippine government to send a printing machine here in the city to cut the costs incurred by Filipinos who renew their passports here.

Dolores Balladares-Pelaez, chairperson of the United Filipinos in Hong Kong, told Hong Kong News there was a plan that besides data capturing here, printing should also be done in the post to reduce costs. Presently, data capturing is held at the post and will then be sent to the National Printing Office in Manila. Once printing is completed, the passport is then sent to the overseas post via a courier service.

Besides being expensive, it takes months before the new passport is delivered to the applicant.

“That’s the plan,” Balladares-Pelaez said.

Eman Villanueva, chairperson of Bayan Hong Kong and Macau, said the Philippine post should follow the practice of other consulates in Hong Kong which print their passports here.

“The Indonesian consulate is doing that kaya ang bilis nilang mag-issue ng passport so it’s just a matter of magkaroon ng machine dito, pero at the moment kasi parang biometrics pa din, data capturing pa lang din ang available,” he said.

In his meeting with the Filipino community held on July 6 at the Philippine Consulate General, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said the new passport with 10-year validity would take time before it could be rolled out. Presently, Philippine passports are valid for five years.

“Iyong 10 years na passport, kailangan po iyan maging batas at magkaroon ng implementing rules and regulations,” he said.

Cayetano belied reports that the new passport would cost double.

“Siguro naman kung iyong doblehin man ang kapal, kahit makapal ang papel, ang cover naman pareho. Huwag po kayong mag-alala, we will get you the best deal possible. Right now, we are looking at how to do it,” he said.

The DFA chief said there was a plan to allow passport applicants to use the same photo and data in their passports instead of periodically going to the consular offices so they could have their photo taken and input their personal details each time they renew their passport.

“Pipilitin natin na in the future, kapag nag-renew kayo, parang sa ibang bansa, mina-mail na lang iyon, hindi na kailangang mag-appear at dalhin pa ang mga dokumento ninyo. This way, we will get it to you cheaper and faster,” he said.

Cayetano brought to the PCG two additional data capturing machines to allow the post to process passport renewal faster.

Previously, there were four data capturing machines at the PCG.

Cayetano said, yearly, passport applications in the Philippines increase between four and seven percent, translating to 400,000 to 700,000 new applicants.

“As far as passport is concerned, give us sometime, pero months lang iyan at hindi years. Two machines ngayon at naghahanap lang ng tao, but we will try right away na magkaroon kayo ng additional slots every Sunday para mas marami makapunta [dito sa PCG],” he said.