LOOK: DFA says passport on wheels processed 70,500 passports

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday trumpeted the productivity of its Passport on Wheels (POW) program.

In a series of infographics sent to the media, DFA said 70,473 passports were approved out of 85,549 pre-verified application from January 15 to April 30 this year.

POW conducted missions to 63 locations in and out of Metro Manila.

The program, which features vans equipped with machines and gadgets that can process passports, was introduced to boost the processing capacities of DFA amid the increasing volume of passport applications.

At present, the DFA has four vans that can process 500 passports per trip.

The department is expected to receive four more vans this month, doubling its capacity to 4000 passports per day.

POWs are conducted upon request or in coordination with local government units (LGUs). Beneficiaries may avoid the lines at consular offices and may ask the assistance of their LGU for document verification.