DFA opens first document authentication center in Cebu

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. delivers his opening remarks at the launch of DFA’s new authentication center in Mandaue City in Cebu on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019. (Photo by ERIC VALENZUELA / DFA-Office of Consular Affairs)

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) opened on Tuesday its first authentication center in Mandaue City in Cebu to make it easier for Filipinos in the Visayas to have public documents authenticated.

“Before today, Filipinos from the Visayas needed to travel to Manila to have their documents authenticated by the DFA,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said as he led the inauguration ceremony of the authentication center at Pacific Mall Mandaue in Cebu.

“They are usually OFWs [overseas Filipino workers] whose work or livelihood abroad rests on a piece of paper that needs authentication. For too long, they have spent considerable time, money and effort to avail of a simple government service,” he added.

According to Locsin, the opening of DFA’s first authentication center for the Visayas here in Cebu completed the nationwide roll-out of agency’s authentication services.

The launch of the authentication center in Cebu comes following the country’s accession to the Apostille Convention, which shortens the authentication process for applicants.

As Locsin pointed out, Filipinos whose documents have already been authenticated need not have them authenticated again in the embassy or consulate of the country where they are going if that country is among the 177 members of the Apostille Convention.

“Thanks to President Duterte who signed the Instrument of Accession to the Apostille Convention, the authentication process for public documents has been cut by half,” Locsin said. “This means less aggravation and less cost for the millions of Filipinos who rely on the cross-border exchange of public documents for work, study and business.”

The DFA’s consular office in Cebu is the eighth consular office to offer authentication services.

The Cebu consular office will accept applications for authentication from Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Scheduling an appointment is not necessary.

The DFA aims to open more authentication centers across the Philippines in the coming months.

/atm