2019 is the earliest launch date
One of the most challenging things to do nowadays is renewing one’s passport. In my personal experience, I had to schedule an appointment during the first week of January this year for a passport renewal appointment scheduled sometime in June.
Among the major problems being haunted by passport renewal is the lack of available slots for passport appointment, as they get filled up easily. However, DFA is trying out new tech to make passport renewal easier.
As shared by DFA secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, the new system should allow applicants to do their renewals at home or at the office, saving them time from booking an appointment to a consular office.
The experimental tech involves one taking a selfie and a photo of their passport, with the software doing a series of cross-checks before proceeding with the renewal. The new system is aimed to be launched on 2019, and it will be available to passports issued from August 2016 onwards.
Aside from the new system, Cayetano pointed out during the congressional probe on delayed passport processing that they have obtained obsolete and corrupted biometric data since the data was turned over to them in 2014. “Once we have the biometrics, puwede nang hindi na magpakita sa offices and we can do the renewals online,” Cayetano adds.
Source: ABS-CBN
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