A HOUSE resolution was filed that sought to appeal to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to extend by two years the passport validity of Filipino seafarers and land-based Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), especially for those whose passports are about to expire.
Based on House Resolution 2367 filed by the MARINO Partylist, the DFA itself admitted that the backlog on passport applications and renewals already reached 4 million because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The problem is this will further increase because of the still limited “slots” offered daily for passport processing, aside from fact that the Christmas season is fast approaching, and many Filipinos are expected to go in and out of the country.
According to the resolution, among those affected are OFWs and seafarers who find it difficult going to consular offices for passport processing and other deployment-related documents because of limitations still due to the pandemic.
Based on what is called “industry practice,” the validity of passports of seafarers should not be lower than 18 months before their deployment.
Any form of delay in passport processing may result to lost jobs or employment opportunities for many Filipinos, who face the prospect of being replaced for other foreign workers.
That is why to remedy the situation and in support of OFWs and seafarers, the resolution insists that passport validity be extended by at least two more years, especially for those about to expire, for Filipinos about to be deployed for overseas work, and for those currently in foreign workplaces, within the next 120 days