04 March 2004 – For the first time, residents of Oroquieta City where able to file for passports in their own city.

In a bid to reach out to Filipinos in other areas of Region X over which it has jurisdiction, the DFA’s Regional Consular Office in Cagayan de Oro City dispatched a mobile passport team to Oroquieta City from 07-08 February 2004. This marked the first time mobile passport services were rendered in that city.

The team headed by Mr. Dicasaran B. Acraman, Officer-in-Charge of RCO Cagayan de Oro, accepted close to 500 passport applications and rendered other consular services to residents in the area.  Through arrangements made with the office of Oroquieta Mayor Nancy Bandala, the team held office at the city’s ABC Hall, where a press conference and dialogue involving community leaders and DFA representatives was also held.

“Again, the mobile passport program clearly underscores the DFA’s determination to reach out and extend its services to the people in the remote areas of the country,” DFA Acting Secretary Rafael E. Seguis said.  “This is also a historic event for the city of Oroquieta since this is the first time it hosted a consular team,” he added.

Referring to past successful stagings of mobile passport programs in various parts of the country over the last few months, Acting Secretary Seguis affirmed the Department’s commitment to strengthen its frontline service and, through its eleven RCOs nationwide, make it more accessible to the people.  END.