TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol— Residents of Bohol and neighboring provinces can now have their public documents authenticated without traveling to Cebu or Manila with the opening of a new Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Authentication Hub at Alturas Mall here on Oct. 30.
The new facility, located on the mall’s fifth floor, was formally opened to bring DFA authentication services closer to the public and make the processing of documents for overseas use more accessible and convenient.
The Alturas Tagbilaran facility is the 14th Authentication Hub among the 42 DFA Consular Offices nationwide.
READ: DFA launches e-Apostille service; first in Asean regionIt will provide direct authentication and apostille services for public documents, including birth certificates, academic records, and licenses issued by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), which are often required for transactions abroad.
With the hub’s opening, applicants from Bohol will no longer need to travel to DFA offices in Cebu or Manila, saving them time and transportation expenses.
The DFA explained that an apostille certifies the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person signing the document acted, and the identity of the seal or stamp affixed to it. This allows public documents to be recognized in foreign countries that are members of the Apostille Convention.
The facility is also expected to serve applicants from neighboring provinces, including Leyte and Masbate.
Its opening is seen as a significant development for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), students planning to study abroad, professionals, and other individuals who need authenticated documents for employment, education, and other transactions overseas./coa