All DFA regional offices now issuing ePassports

The issuance of the new electronic passport (ePassport) is now being implemented nationwide, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). In a statement, DFA Secretary Alberto Romula said all of the department’s 19 regional consular offices (RCO) have been issuing ePassports since April 28. “This way, our kababayans (fellow citizens) living in the provinces and overseas need not come to Manila to get a passport. They just have to go to an RCO nearest them and avail of the same fast and efficient services," Romulo said. The same day that the RCOs shifted from the machine-readable passport to the ePassport, the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong also rolled out the ePassports. Other Embassies and Consulates General will soon follow suit, according to the DFA statement. In the coming months, the department’s Office of Consular Affairs plans to accommodate more people, from 2,800 a day to around 3,300 a day. A Filipino group in Hong Kong, however, had criticized the 20-percent increase in the application fee, from $50 (about P2,225) to $60 (about P2,670). The DFA justified the increase, saying the ePassport has special features, including an embedded integrated circuit chip containing the holder’s personal information, that make it more secure and compliant with international standards. - Jerrie Abella/KBK, GMANews.TV