A lot of us already knew that scheduling passport appointments can be a bit of a hassle. The health protocols and the community quarantine restrictions made it even more difficult to secure a slot. As a result, a number of people who want to grab an appointment schedule turn to ask for help from other people through social media.
However, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) tells the public to be wary of this practice.
In a statement, the DFA Consular Affairs Office said that it has received reports of Filipinos seeking passport appointment assistance from various Facebook groups and chat groups, and even from strangers offering such service for a fee.
“The Department received reports today from passport applicants who booked their passport appointment with assistance from unknown individuals online and ended up paying more than what the DFA collects for passport issuance, and receiving tampered application forms and/or incorrect instructions, such as advice to pursue their appointment at a schedule or Consular Office different from the actual appointment schedule and site,” the statement reads.
Nevertheless, the DFA advised passport applicants who were doubtful about their appointments made with a third party to confirm such by calling their appointment hotline 8234-3488 to verify such schedule.
“Applications that were made through a third party will be accepted for processing only after the appointment and the identity of the applicant has been verified, and processing will only be done at the Consular Office where the appointment was made,” the statement further reads.
Self-service
A person can schedule a passport appointment for himself through https://passport.gov.ph. Passport applicants must use their own email address and mobile details so they can receive the correct information about their appointment and the complete instructions on what to do and what to bring for their application.
On the other hand, those with urgent travel requirements, such as overseas Filipino workers, may send an appointment request by email to oca.cl@dfa.gov.ph.
