DSWD to launch online system for easier travel clearance application for minors

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to launch a new online system that will streamline the process of applying for and issuing travel clearances for minors traveling abroad. 

DSWD-Program Management Bureau (PMB) Social Welfare Officer (SWO) IV Cheryl Mainar on Thursday, Feb. 13 said the initiative aims to make the process faster and more accessible, as applicants will no longer need to physically submit documents at DSWD offices.

“Before, it was a manual process, meaning you had to go to DSWD offices to apply for a travel clearance. Now, they no longer need to go to any office. They can do it from home, as long as they have an internet connection,” Mainar explained in Filipino.

A travel clearance is required for minors under 18 traveling alone or with someone other than their parents or legal guardians. It ensures that the child’s parents or guardians have given consent for the trip.

According to Mainar, with the new system, the processing time for complete and verified applications will be reduced between one and three days.

“Now, applicants can expect to receive their clearance within the same day or at most within three days,” she said.

Mainar also pointed out that the system also specifies who needs to apply for a travel clearance. 

It includes any Filipino minor traveling alone, with prospective adoptive parents, or with someone other than their legal guardian or parent. 

Minors traveling with a biological parent but who are illegitimate, or minors under 13 traveling with a sibling or relative over 15, will also require clearance.

However, some minors are exempt from the clearance requirement. 

These include minors traveling with either or both parents (if the minor is legitimate), the biological mother (if the minor is illegitimate), or a legal guardian, Mainar said.

The MTA system will be launched on Feb. 18 at the SMX Convention Center as part of DSWD’s 74th anniversary celebration.