Press Release No. 024-03
21 January 2003

RCO-TUGUEGARAO BRINGS SERVICE TO QUIRINO PROVINCE

The Department of Foreign Affairs is sending a team from the Regional Consular Office in Tuguegarao City on January 25-26 to conduct passport services for the people of the Province of Quirino, which is composed of the municipalities of Diffun, Cabarroguis, Saguday, Aglipay, Natipunana and Maddela.

The undertaking, a first since the establishment of a DFA consular office in the Cagayan Valley region in 1991, is to be held in cooperation with the Office of Hon. Governor Pedro L. Bacani of Quiriono, which will host the authorized personnel of RCO-Tuguegarao led by Mr. Romulo Victor M. Israel, Jr.,  Officer-in-Charge.

Passport applications processed by the mobile team on Saturday, 25 January can be released the following day, unlike the regular processing that normally takes five day.  For this reason, an overtime processing fee of P250.00 will be assessed in addition to the regular fee of P500.00

RCO-Tuguegarao has been assured of the support of NSO Regional Office for this public service outreach in assigning representatives from its Provincial office to assist in verifying the authenticity of civil registry documents during the processing of passport applications.

Aside form issuing passport to qualified applicants, DFA RCO personnel will also welcome requests for assistance to distressed Filipinos living and working overseas to be filed by their next-of-kin.  Such requests can be immediately evaluated and forwarded to the different Philippine Embassies and Consulates concerned for appropriate action through the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, DFA, Pasay City.

The processing site will be at the Quirino Coffee Shop, Capitol Grounds, Cabarroguis.  It will be open to the public from 8 am to 5 pm on the said dates.