Don't skip passport sched, Filipinos in UAE told

  DUBAI – The Philippine Consulate General in Dubai and the Northern Emirates on Wednesday (September 28) issued a statement appealing to all Filipinos “to ensure that they appear on their scheduled date of passport application or renewal appointment” in order to avoid problems. The consulate issued the statement after what it said was a low turnout of 65 percent to 85 percent of people who were scheduled to appear at the consulate to process their passport applications. The consulate accommodates up to 380 passport renewal or application requests per day. “Non-appearance of applicants on their appointment schedules creates crowding and bottleneck in securing appointment slots on subsequent dates,” the consulate said in a statement. Consulate officials are anticipating the rollout of the new passport global appointment system later this year. In June, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) launched www.passport.gov.ph for selected regional consular offices in the Philippines. The DFA said that the online passport application system “is for the convenience of Philippine citizens residing locally or abroad seeking to apply for a passport for the first time or intending to renew ”. For the online application filing and scheduling, an applicant needs a valid e-mail address to receive system-generated messages with file attachments, a PDF reader and a printer to view and print the system-generated application form in A4-size paper. The DFA said that the new appointment system intends to avoid inconveniences and cut long waiting hours of applicants. The new online-appointment system is currently being offered only for applications intended for selected regional consular offices in the Philippines, DFA Manila (Aseana) and satellite offices within Metro Manila (Ali Mall, SM Manila, SM Megamall and Alabang Town Center).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