Meanwhile, those entitled to courtesy lane services at DFA ASEANA may set their appointment by sending an email to oca.cl@dfa.gov.ph or visiting the department’s website at http://passport.gov.ph.
For courtesy lane services at other consular offices, applicants may email the consular office directly.
In view of the current health crisis, only those who have booked appointments through https://passport.gov.ph/ and those who received confirmation from oca.cl@dfa.gov.ph will be allowed entry to DFA ASEANA in Parañaque City on their appointment date.
A copy of the appointment confirmation will be required to enter the premises.
Following the protocols issued by the Department of Health (DOH) for all workplaces, only a limited number of applicants can be physically accommodated in the consular offices.
The DFA also implements health standards and protocols, which include basic precautionary measures such as physical distancing, wearing of masks and face shields, and temperature checks to ensure the safety of all applicants and attending personnel and service staff.
Passport applicants are advised to prepare contingencies for their travel plans in view of potential logistical limitations due to the government-imposed community quarantine.
The DFA advises the public to take note of the following links to be guided when applying for passport:
For questions or emergencies, email oca.concerns@dfa.gov.ph / passportconcerns@dfa.gov.ph or call (+63)2-8234-3488 for Passport Appointment Concerns.
For passport, authentication, and other consular inquiries, the public may call the Client Concerns Unit at (+63)977-353-3942 (Globe) or (+63)961-567-9324 (Smart).
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported on Wednesday (May 5) that 41 overseas Filipinos added to the list of active cases of COVID-19 abroad.
Overall, 18,457 Filipinos abroad have been infected with the disease.
Of the said number, 6,018 Filipinos in different countries are undergoing treatment; while 11,292 have recovered. Those who succumbed to the disease are now at 1,147.
The highest number of COVID-19 cases reported among overseas Filipinos are in the Middle East and Africa, in Asia and the Pacific, and in Europe and the Americas.
To date, a total of 94 countries and territories have reported cases of Filipinos infected with coronavirus, the DFA said.
MANILA, Philippines—Senator Risa Hontiveros has called on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to take actions against fake passports being used in human trafficking.
During a Senate Committee hearing on Tuesday (May 4), Hontiveros said the DFA should look into illegal schemes and enterprises that tamper with or forge passports, including a modus called “baklas passport.” Under the said scheme, the trafficked individual assumes the passport details of another person.
Hontiveros revealed three accounts of Filipino Muslim girls who were victims of human trafficking. They were identified as Omaima, Aleah, and Lenlen (not her real name). During the hearing, the women attested that their passports were fabricated to hide the fact that they were underaged.
“Our witness, Lenlen, went to the DFA in Cotabato to get her biometric passport in 2018. Why then did the DFA give her a fake passport?” the senator said.
One of the Filipino Muslim girls who were trafficked to Syria as minors also said that her passport was ‘baklas’ or fake.
The senator asked if there was a government official colluding with human trafficking criminals. She also called on the Foreign Affairs Department to conduct an investigation on its officials from across the country who may be facilitating the production of fake passports.
Another survivor of human trafficking in Syria said she was recruited when she was 14 years old. She said she was also a victim of verbal sexual harassment by an employee of the Philippine Embassy in Syria.
“I call on the DFA to regularly check the welfare of our women and girls abroad. We would not have known of this case, had Lenlen kept this story to herself. The DFA should be proactive in protecting our women,” Hontiveros said.
Meanwhile, pastillas scheme whistle blower Alex Chiong confirmed that corrupt Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers have a Viber group chat that displays the list of names of women to be trafficked out of the country. The list may include underage girls with fraudulent passports.
According to the BI, the immigration officer who stamped the passport of 2018 survivor Lenlen in the list of individuals, is being investigated by the agency for being part of outbound human trafficking activities.
“If we find that this is syndicated trafficking, or trafficking committed by a group of three or more persons conspiring or confederating with each other, the prescription period is 20 years. Let’s all help finally resolve this revolting issue. Let’s do all we can for our children,” Hontiveros said. AAC
MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has filed two protests against China for the continuous presence of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea, and its “belligerent actions against the Philippine Coast Guard.”
In a statement, the DFA said it has protested the shadowing, blocking, dangerous maneuver, and radio challenges by the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) on the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels conducting legitimate maritime patrols and training exercises in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc.
The department also mentioned in its protest “the incessant, illegal, prolonged, and increasing presence of Chinese fishing vessels and maritime militia vessels in Philippine maritime zones.”
“From January 1 to March 18, 2021, Philippine maritime law enforcement agencies monitored the continued unauthorized presence and activities of hundreds of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea, particularly in the areas around the Pag-asa Islands, Zamora Reef, Panata and Kota Islands, Ayungin Shoal, Quirino Atoll, and Bajo de Masinloc,” the statement said.
The department also rejects the statement of the Spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 26 April 2021 that China enjoys sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc, reiterating that such statement has no “basis in international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and is not recognized by the international community.”
The DFA further emphasized that “the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) and Bajo de Masinloc are integral parts of the Philippines over which it has sovereignty and jurisdiction.”
It also reiterated that China has no law enforcement rights in these areas.
The DFA also called on China “to withdraw its government vessels around the KIG and Bajo de Masinloc and respect Philippine sovereignty.” AAC
UNTV is a major TV broadcast network with 24-hour programming. An Ultra High Frequency station with strong brand content that appeal to everyone, UNTV is one of the most trusted and successful Philippine networks that guarantees wholesome and quality viewing experience.
