Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Domingo Albert today said that in anticipation of the traditional increase in passport applications during the summer months, the Department will be temporarily assigning some of the Department’s personnel to the Department’s passport section.  The Secretary also asked the public to remain vigilant against passport fraud.

“We are approaching the summer months and we anticipate the usual marked increase in passport applications. In fact we are also beginning to see indications that this increase is already starting. We will be taking the appropriate measures and we hope to ensure that we provide our traveling public with our passport services,” the Secretary said, after she personally inspected the passport section of the Department.  The Secretary arrived today from her official visits to Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar and proceeded directly to the
passport section from the airport. “Our officers and staff in the passport section are doing a great job and they can use all the help that they can get at this time when applications are sure to increase,” she added.

The Secretary also said that passport fixers often try to exploit this peak season. “Ironically, this traditional peak season is also the time when the passport fixers get even more animated.  We continue to adopt all appropriate measures against these unscrupulous individuals and advise the traveling public to exercise vigilance.  All transactions must only be conducted with Department personnel or the Department’s duly authorized representatives,” Secretary Albert said.

When asked if the increase in applications is a reflection on the state of the economy, Secretary Albert said that this can hardly be the case since “the increase in passport applications at this time is something that we expect to happen every year.  Travel for pleasure, business or employment increases around this time of year.”

The Secretary added that the Department is also preparing to hire additional temporary personnel, subject to the availability of funds and the approval of the COMELEC.  “If necessary, we are also prepared to ask the assistance of other government agencies which have personnel who have experience in handling sensitive documents and who have sufficient security clearance.  We are considering the possibility of asking that these personnel be temporarily detailed to the Department.  We are willing to do all this in order to minimize any inconvenience to the public,” the Secretary said. END.