Republic of the Philippines.
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. __1371

Introduced by Representative ED CHRISTOPHER S. GO

AN ACT
CREATING A PASSPORT PROCESSING AND ISSUANCE CENTER FOR EVERY
PROVINCE, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8239 OR
THE PHILIPPINE PASSPORT ACT OF 1996

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article Ill, Section 6 of the 1987 Constitution guarantees that the right to travel
of every citizen shall not be impaired except in the interest national security, public
‘safety, or public health, as may be provided by law.

By this principle, it is the duty of the government to issue passport to any
individual or citizen of the Philippines who complies with the requirements under
Republic Act No. 8239, the Philippine Passport Act of 1996, which established the
guidelines for the application and issuance of passports by the government through
the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Due to the number of Filipinos wanting to travel abroad, especially those
seeking overseas job deployment, the DFA has been swamped through the years with
a huge number of passport applications. The endless lines in the DFA consular offices
is a demonstration of the shortcomings of the department in meeting the escalating
applications for regular passports. The delays in processing, which sometimes takes
at least two months from appointment to the issuance of the passport, have practically
impaired the right of many Filipinos to travel and to secure employment abroad.


The DFA has been pursuing measures time and again to mitigate the situation,
but the delays and the backlogs in passport applications have continued to hound the
consular offices. The DFA has proven however that with additional frontline personnel
and locations of service providers, delays and backlogs can be drastically reduced.
The present system created regional processing centers to discourage applicants from
flocking to Metro Manila. It decentralized the system allowing those from the provinces
to apply and secure passports without having to travel to Metro Manila, a costly trip for
all, while de-clogging the DFA processing centers in Metro Manila.

As it has been shown, a regional processing center is a welcome development
for those in the provinces as they do not have to travel to Metro Manila anymore for
their passport application. But for a hopeful OFW in San Mariano, Isabela, his
appointment to the regional passport processing center would still require him to take
a three-hour trip to Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

This bill seeks to extend the decentralized approach in passport processing to
the provincial level. It will confer everybody, particularly those in the provinces, equal
opportunity to apply and secure his or her regular passport in the most efficient and
speedy manner. Locating passport processing and issuance centers in the capital city
‘or municipality of every province removes the difficulty of travelling far for one’s
passport application.

In view of the foregoing, I urge the timely approval of this bill

v


Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1371

Introduced by Representative ED CHRISTOPHER S. GO

AN ACT
CREATING A PASSPORT PROCESSING AND ISSUANCE CENTER FOR EVERY
PROVINCE, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE, REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8239 OR
THE PHILIPPINE PASSPORT ACT OF 1996

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Section 6 of Republic Act No. 8239, the Philippine Passport Act

of 1996, is hereby amended to read as follows:
SEC. 6. Application. - The application may be filed by:
a) The applicant himself or herself, or

b) The parent or legal guardian on behalf of an applicant who

is below the age of majority.

In case of first-time applicants, the applicant must present
himself/herself in person to prove that he or she is the same person
and of the age claimed in the application form. In case of renewal
the application may be filed by any licensed travel agency duly
accredited by the Department of Foreign Affairs: Provided, That the

agent shall be responsible for the authenticity or bona fide of the


supporting documents being presented to meet the requirements

for the application of passports.

THERE SHALL BE CREATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS A PASSPORT PROCESSING AND
ISSUANCE CENTER IN EVERY PROVINCE, LOCATING IT AS
MUCH AS PRACTICABLE IN THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
CENTER, WHERE ALL APPLICATIONS FOR PASSPORT BY A
RESIDENT OF THE PROVINCE CAN BE PROCESSED AND
RELEASED UPON ITS ISSUANCE.

SECTION 2. Repealing Clause - All laws, decrees, executive orders, letters
of instructions, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this
Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SECTION 3. Effectivity Clause — This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days

following its publication in two (2) newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,