The Senate on Monday approved the third and final reading of the proposed new Philippine Passport Act, a measure that seeks to streamline the country's passport application process to be at par with international standards.
With 20-0-0 votes, Senate Bill 2001 allows senior citizens and migrant workers to renew their passports virtually, without having to line up at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) office.
Under the bill, Filipinos who lost their passports will be allowed to request emergency passports, which would be valid for a year while emergency travel document certificates may also be sought for passports lost overseas before they return to the Philippines.
"The New Philippine Passport Law will be the framework upon which we will build a future reiteration of the Philippine passport and contactless technologies," said Senator Imee Marcos, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, during her sponsorship speech of the measure.
Aside from an online application portal, the bill provides for the establishment of an Electronic One-Stop Shop on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) website to facilitate convenience of application and ease in gathering and submission of requirements.
The measure likewise institutionalizes the DFA’s offsite and mobile passport services as well as a watchlist for people who have been denied passports or have had their passports canceled, which would fast-track the approval processes.
SBN No. 2001 also proposes the creation of a Passport Revolving Fund. The funds will be sourced from the service fees charged from passport processing and issuance which require special consideration or issuance beyond regular office hours.
Congress shall review the disbursement and use of the fund annually.
