DFA Passport on Wheels Goes to Offices, Hospitals, Subdivisions and Schools

APO Production Unit turned over four new Passport on Wheels (POW) vans on 04 May 2018, bringing to eight the total number of POW vans. (Office of Public Diplomacy photo)

MANILA 05 July 2018 — The Department of Foreign Affairs continues to step up its efforts to meet the consular needs of the public with its pioneering Passport on Wheels (POW) program by going to offices, hospitals, subdivisions and schools nationwide to serve the applying public.

In a statement, the DFA said it has increased its capacity to serve more passport applicants since the launch of the POW program in January 2018, with the number of POW applicants in the last six months already equivalent to the output of four medium-sized consular offices.

“Through the Passport on Wheels, we are not only able to bring our consular services closer to the people but, more importantly, serve more people, accommodating more than 138,000 applicants since January,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said.

In addition to cities and municipalities, government offices such as Malacañang, Senate, House of Representatives, Department of Health, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority were visited by POW teams.

Employees of private entities such as GMA Network, Aboitiz and Nestle have also benefited from the POW program. The DFA also went to hospitals like St. Luke’s Medical Center and Tricity Medical Center, and partnered with homeowners’ association such as Loyola Grand Villas in Quezon City, to hold consular missions.

Last June 30, the POW went to Xavier School and served 1,930 applicants.

The Secretary said any LGU, company, school or organization can avail of a POW service by sending a written request to the Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs of the DFA via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The letter must specify the estimated number of applicants (minimum of 500 and maximum of 2,000), the name and contact details of the requesting party’s designated Passport Coordinator, and the preferred schedule.

Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Frank Cimafranca said that the demand for passports has risen dramatically since 2016 primarily due to the expanding middle class, the availability of affordable plane fares, and the lure of more lucrative employment opportunities overseas.

Apart from the POW program, Assistant Secretary Cimafranca cited other initiatives that have been undertaken by the DFA to meet the public’s demand for passports. The DFA recently opened new consular offices in Tacloban City, San Nicolas in Ilocos Norte, and Santiago City in Isabela, while DFA Aseana in Parañaque City opened its passport services on Saturdays earlier this year.

DFA has also increased the daily capacity of all consular offices, expanded the courtesy lanes to sectors who need them most, and arrested and prosecuted fixers and scammers. END

Scenes from the Passport on Wheels at Xavier School in Greenhills, San Juan City on 30 June 2018. (Office of Consular Affairs photos)