DFA: 17,000 passport applications still pending
MANILA, Philippines — Around 17,000 passport applications have been pending with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) since July due to staffing problems caused by pandemic restrictions.
The huge passport backlog has cost the jobs of many overseas Filipino workers and drawn numerous complaints on the social media accounts of the DFA and its officials.
The passport problem has caused long lines to form lately at the DFA Office of Consular Affairs at Aseana Business Park in Pasay City.
On Friday, Foreign Assistant Secretary Senen Mangalile said the 17,000 pending passports required verification due to “errors” or “corrections” in the entries.
Since mid-July, the DFA has received about 26,000 such passport applications. Releasing passports usually takes 12 working days or seven working days when expedited. Mangalile said the DFA will open next week new appointment slots for the rest of the year.
