Due to complaints from citizens who were unable to book for passport appointments, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recently opened 100,000 passport appointment slots for February to May.
Applicants can now book their appointment on the nearest consular office in order to get their passport. Setting an appointment schedule is free of charge. They now require advanced payment for appointment schedules.
The Foreign Affairs department has been continuously implementing reform programs to make passport application more convenient for Filipinos. The agency recently launched “Passport on Wheels” to bring the service closer to the public.
READ: Here is the Schedule of PASSPORT ON WHEELS.
Citizens lamented the difficulty of booking an appointment on the department’s online system which was blamed on alleged fixers and employees of DFA.
In early January, netizens shared on social media the call for DFA to fix its passport appointment system after their website showed it was fully booked until March.
Some alleged ‘syndicates’ were said to hoard passport appointment schedules then sell them at high-prices to applicants who badly needed to get their passports. Prices could soar for as high as Php7,000.
Meanwhile, DFA Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano denied the allegations that there is a syndicate coordinating with its employees. He said that it’s impossible for travel agencies to sell appointment slots because DFA has already blacklisted them from getting slots.
The agency only open slots every three months to accommodate applicants while ensuring the security of the website.
To set an appointment for your online passport application online, visit https://www.passport.gov.ph/appointment and fill up the necessary forms.
Applicants only need to pay Php950 pesos for the Philippine Passport Fee.
