GINGOOG CITY — A total of 314 applicants were approved for passport processing during the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) Passport on Wheels program in Misamis Oriental’s First District on Oct. 21 and 22.
The service was held in Lagonglong on Oct. 21 and Talisayan on Oct. 22, with 1,000 slots allocated for the two municipalities.
Rep. Jennifer “Karen” Lagbas said the program aimed to bring DFA services closer to residents who would otherwise need to travel to cities such as Cagayan de Oro and Butuan to process their passports.
The available slots were divided equally, with 500 for each municipality. However, Lagbas said some interested residents were unable to participate because they learned about the activity too late, despite social media announcements and assistance from the municipal mayors.
“Bringing DFA services closer to the people is a big help because they no longer need to travel to the cities. They also do not have to wait long for their appointments,” Lagbas said.
She said processing took about 10 minutes for most applicants. Those whose applications were approved would wait for their passports to be delivered to the addresses they provided.
Medina Vice Mayor Paulo Magallanes welcomed the initiative, saying easier access to passport services could help residents seeking employment abroad.
He urged Lagbas to hold another round of the program and include Medina as a venue so its residents could also benefit.
Lagbas said her office would study the proposal next year, depending on the number of slots the
DFA allocates and the demand for the service.
She also said her office had asked the DFA to waive passport processing fees, but the request was not approved because of the costs involved in processing applications and providing supplies.
Despite the fees, Lagbas said the mobile service helped residents save on transportation expenses and travel time while avoiding long queues at DFA offices.
