Validity ng passport palalawigin, pero bayad dodoblehin

DFA

Pabor ang Department of Foreign Affairs na gawing 10 taon ang validity ng pasaporte mula sa kasalukuyang limang taon.      Pero sinabi ni Foreign Affairs Sec. Perfecto Yasay na kakailanganing doblehin din ang babayaran ng mga aplikante upang hindi maapektuhan ang pondong kailangan ng ahensya.      Kailangang amyendahan ang Philippine Passport Act of 1996 (RA 8239) upang mapalawig ang validity ng pasaporte.      “We are in favor of that proposal,” ani Yasay. “We are seriously considering the matter.”      Ikokonsidera rin sa pagbabago ng batas ang mga bata na mag-iiba ang itsura kung masyadong matagal ang validity ng pasaporte nito.      “We provide for certain exemption if the applicant is child. He or she may look older or mature after two years looks older, maturity, and his appearance may have changed,” dagdag pa ni Yasay.      Ilang panukala na ang inihain sa Kamara de Representantes upang mapalawig ang passport validity.      Ayon kay AASENSO Rep. Teodoro Montoro, isa sa mga naghain ng panukala, kalimitang problema ng OFW ang maikling validity period.      “Even Overseas Filipino Workers who regularly travel to various countries complain that their  deployment abroad is sometimes affected by the short validity of their passports which are needed in their employment application or renewals. OFWs are usually obliged to travel to areas where their passports can be renewed with cost and also incur additional expenses in so doing,” ani Montoro.