(PPD photo)
MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday assured the public that measures are being taken to address issues on online fixers and scammers that have been affecting its consular services.
"The online appointment system, of course, is continually being reviewed and we seek to improve the system which is why the decision to open walk-in applicants was made," DFA Assistant Secretary Eduardo Menez said in a press briefing.
The DFA's consular services were severely hit by the coronavirus crisis, with the agency not only forced to work on limited manpower but also to hunt down fixers selling already scarce appointment slots online.
The DFA said it filed complaints against two recruitment agencies, Canferz Payment and Ticketing Center and Valesco-SMS Inc., for illegally distributing and profiting from the sale of passport appointment slots intended only for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) through social media.
As a consequence, the agency shut down the passport appointment portal for OFWs and opened the courtesy lane for walk-in eligible applicants, including OFWs.
Early this week, the DFA faced another issue after several applicants trooped to DFA Aseana past operation hours following its announcement that walk-in applications for apostille services would be allowed.
The DFA said it serviced these applicants but had to suspend walk-in applications on March 23 to accommodate them.
In the same presser, DFA Deputy Assistant Secretary Christian de Jesus blamed several recruitment agencies for spreading false information causing the influx of applicants on March 22.
"DFA considers this behavior of certain recruitment agencies highly irresponsible and malicious, not only for disregarding the DFA’s announced limits for walk-in applicants and attempting to monopolize DFA’s walk-in services to the detriment of other eligible applicants but also for disregarding the welfare of our OFWs whom they ought to protect by putting them out in the streets in the middle of the night," he said.
Walk-in apostille application
The DFA has set a 300 cap on walk-ins at DFA Aseana's passport courtesy lane and another 300 for walk-in authentication/apostille applicants.
The agency is also accommodating walk-in applicants for apostille at its consular offices in Megamall (100 applicants), SM Manila (150 applicants), Robinsons Star Mall (80 applicants), Alabang Town Center (150 applicants), Robinson’s Place Iloilo (60 applicants), Ali Mall Cubao (80 applicants), CSI Mall in La Union (50 applicants), SM City Davao (90 applicants), Pacific Mall Mandaue (100 applicants), and SM Downton Premier in Cagayan De Oro (37 applicants).
De Jesus said there are no eligibility requirements for apostille applicants other than the document they need to get apostilled.
In addition, he noted there are no backlogs of apostille applications since DFA has already accommodated those who applied online even prior to the announcement for walk-ins.
De Jesus, meanwhile, asked the public to refrain from transacting with fixers who claim to offer assistance in obtaining passport and authentication appointment slots while charging high fees.
"DFA is exerting all efforts and coordinating with relevant agencies to put a stop to the abuse of appointment slots by enterprising individuals and groups," he said.
"The Department heeds the public’s clamor and remains steadfast in its commitment to resolve issues surrounding consular services and delivering these services effectively to Filipinos," he added.
At present, daily appointments for passport services online could reach at least 14,855 while apostille applications go as high as 1,400 a day. (PNA)
