Travel agencies hit DFA ban on accreditation

TRAVEL agencies complained about  a new directive from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) regional consular office disallowing renewal or acceptance of travel accreditations starting June 30.

In yesterday’s 888 News Forum, travel manager  Hermilina Dimitiman of Grand Hope Travel Inc. said this would be a major inconvenience for the riding public especially those who want to immediately avail of travel accreditation.

“It’s not that people are impatient, they are even willing to wait but due to the long lines in the DFA, they seek our assistance especially those passengers who are working,” she said.

The DFA memo came amid complaints  from walk-in applicants from other regions that they are given less priority than those who pay a travel agency.

Travel agencies pay P500,000 in bond to the DFA annually to apply for accreditation through the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

Dimitiman said travel agencies make it convenient to their clients who want to process their passport application quickly, even if the DFA advised the public to process their passport applications early.

“Nobody’s forcing them (passengers) to avail our services; it’s their option,” she said.  Dimitiman, who started working in travel agencies since 1978, said this would leave many people jobless.

“We even followed the DFA and reduce our applicants from 25 to 11 applicants a week. Why would they want to wipe us out, we’re SMEs (Small to Medium Enterprises) they should help us out,” she said.

Robert “Bobby” Joseph, a travel industry veteran of four decades, said they will  relay their complaint to the DFA immediately. “We are adamant against this; they need to stop,” he said. Correspondent Tweeny M. Malinao