Validity of driver's licenses also lengthened to 5 years from the current 3 years

  MANILA – Philippine passports, except for those issued to minors, will now be valid for 10 years from the previous five years after President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law late Wednesday a measure extending the validity of the travel document. Passports issued to minors will only be valid for five years. Duterte also signed into law a separate bill that extends the validity of driver's licenses from the current three years to five years. Republic Act (RA) No. 10928 amends Section 10 of RA 8239 otherwise known as the Philippine Passport Act of 1996, which set a five-year validity period for passports. But RA 10928 aldo provides that the issuing authority - the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) – can limit the validity of passports to less than 10 years "whenever in the national economic interest or political stability of the country such restriction is necessary." The DFA has been tasked to issue implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for RA 10928, which will take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette of the Philippines or in a Philippine newspaper of general circulation. RA 10928 reconciled Senate Bill (SB) 1365 or the Philippine Passport Act which was passed by the senators on third and final reading in May and House Bill (HB) 4767 passed by the Lower House in February. Senator Sonny Angara, one of the authors of SB 1365, said Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) will benefit from the bill saying it "will certainly give comfort to our OFWs." "Often, they have to file a leave from work for them to be able to travel back and forth to the nearest Philippine embassy or consular office to get their passports renewed," Angara said. The measure is also expected to ease the DFA's workload. Meanwhile, RA 10930, which extends the validity of Philippine driver's licenses, amended Section 23 of RA 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code. RA 10930 states that "Except for student permits, all drivers' licenses shall be valid for five years reckoned from the birth date of the licensee, unless sooner revoked or suspended." It also provides that professional or non-professional drivers who do not violate the law or traffic rules during the five-year period can renew their driver's license for 10 years, "subject to the restrictions" of the Land Transportation Office (LTO). RA 10930 tasked local government units, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and other government agencies that issue traffic violation receipts to report the documents to the LTO, which will keep all traffic violation records. Officials and employees who issue licenses to unqualified applicants will be terminated from government service, the law added. The Department of Transportation, LTO, MMDA and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will issue the IRR of RA 10930, which will take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 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