The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) bared on Friday, Dec. 31, that it will "gradually load" appointment slots for passport application on a daily basis next year.
Responding to a question from a passport applicant on Twitter Friday, the DFA assured that it will address the appointment woes on its website in "the upcoming weeks."
"DFA-OCA (Office of the Consular Affairs) will gradually load appointment slots on a daily basis in the upcoming weeks. There is no exact time when the slots will be opened to avoid overloading the system," the DFA said.
It was directed to a passport applicant who asked the DFA what time do they open the slots for passport appointments on its websites as she stated her concern over constantly missing out available slots on DFA sites near her place.
In a separate tweet, DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. also assured the public that they will be on the job over such concerns.
"We will all be on the job; all of us including those in diplomatic work; in this situation the only real diplomacy is with our people when they need us. The rest is bullshit," Locsin said.
We will all be on the job; all of us including those in diplomatic work; in this situation the only real diplomacy is with our people when they need us. The rest is bullshit. https://t.co/aWCKE4AqlA
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) December 31, 2021
The DFA has been facing challenges in its passport application processes, including the staggering 26,000 passport applications with errors in the names and dates of birth of applicants.
Passport applicants, on the other hand, have been having a hard time to secure appointment slots through the website, forcing some to rely on alleged "fixers" who charge them "fees" in order to secure an appointment.
The DFA then sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to look into the passport appointment scam.
The department also reminded applicants that securing an appointment slot for all consular services in the country is free.
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