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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Tolentino: Low index ranking of PH passport a cause for concern

Tolentino: Low index ranking of PH passport a cause for concern

Published Jul 11, 2021 11:39 am

The Philippine passport’s low ranking in the London-based 2021 Henley Passport Index (HPI) should not be taken lightly by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Senator Francis Tolentino said.

“It is indicative not just of the survey done, but the power of our passport,” Tolentino said in a statement.

“The passport is the badge of citizenship and you should be proud of that. If our passport is downgraded, other host countries are bound to also somewhat downgrade their acceptance of Filipino travelers,” he pointed out.

The Philippine passport slipped to 82nd most powerful passport out of 116 nations in the world in the second half of the global travel freedom index this year.

It was ranking 74th in the past two years, then slid down to 77th earlier this year.

This ranking shows that Philippine passport holders can be used visa-free in 66 destinations and with visa in 160 destinations only.

The Philippine’s ranking was three spots lower from last year, making the country tied with Cape Verde Islands and Dominican Republic.

Tolentino also said the DFA should tap the help of the Philippine Postal Service when it comes to passport applications to prevent long queues.

He said the agency should consider this since the practice is already being implemented in the United States and in the European Union (EU).

During a Senate foreign relations committee hearing, DFA officials said they are “disregarding” the 2021 Henley Passport Index (HPI) because it is “opinion-based.”

DFA Office of Consular Affairs Executive Director Maria Alnee Gamble also told the committee chaired by Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III that travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic also affected the passports of many other nations, not only the Philippines.

“Because of the pandemic, a lot of passports are also affected and not just ours because we have entry bans. When we have entry bans, other countries will also impose entry bans against us,” Gamble said.

Related Tags

PH Passport Henley Passport Index (HPI) Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Francis Tolentino
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