On Monday, May 15th, the Senate finally approved a bill that would extend the validity of Philippine passports to 10 years.
OFWs are the main beneficiaries
Senator Sonny Angara, one of the bill's authors, shares, "This measure will certainly give comfort to our OFWs. Often, they have to file a leave from work for them to be able to travel back and forth to the nearest Philippine embassy or consular office to get their passports renewed."
As of 2015, there is an estimated 2.5 million Filipino OFWs according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Through the bill, OFWs will have a much easier time processing their passport renewal, as in some cases it's very difficult for them to renew their passports so that they could remain working abroad without fear of being deported.
Filipinos should have the freedom to move around
According to Senator Cynthia Villar, vice chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Relations, as well as a sponsor of the bill, "Filipinos should have the "freedom to move around and even leave the country for whatever valid purpose."
She adds, "We could only be prevented by the government from leaving the country if there is a statutory basis for it; and the grounds are limited only to matters of national security, public safety or public health."
Under the new bill, regular passports will have a validity of 10 years, compared to the 5 year validity that's currently in place.
However, passports for those who are under 18 will still keep the old 5-year validity.
Hopefully, the bill will enable more Filipinos to travel around the world for work, education, as well as recreational purposes.
Source: cnnphilippines.com
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