DFA adds personnel for passport processing

MANILA, Philippines—To cope with the unprecedented increase in the number of people applying for passport applications, the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of Consular Affairs (DFA-OCA) has added 500 new appointment slots to the usual 4,500 appointments available each working day for passport applicants.

The DFA-OCA has also allotted 1,500 appointment slots on Saturdays. The passport office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

The measure adds 18,000 new appointment slots per month, which brings the total appointment slots to 106,000 per month.

The DFA advises the public to file their passport applications at least 12 weeks before their intended date of travel.

Earlier, the DFA also announced that it had extended the validity of current expiring passports of applicants who have urgent travel needs.

The agency explained the move was prompted by the “unprecedented increase in applications and other technical concerns” that caused delay in the processing and releasing of passports.