Lingayen- – -Applicants for passports need not go anymore to the Foreign Affairs Consular Offices in San Fernando, La Union.
Passporting services are now available at the DFA’s newly-opened consular office at the second floor of Robinson’s Place in Calasiao, thus informed Board Member Ranjit Shahani in an interview with the media.
BM Shahani added that DFA Calasiao had its soft opening recently.
Shahani, who chairs the Committee on Foreign Affairs and OFWs, disclosed that the grand opening of the DFA-RCO is slated next month.
“The DFA Consular Office in Pangasinan covers 60 percent of Region I because 60 percent of Region I are from Pangasinan,” Shahani said, as he further revealed that the Pangasinan DFA office is the first provincial consular office in the country.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Catherine Gapuz, officer-in-charge of the DFA-RCO, said that during the soft opening stage of the new consular and diplomatic office, a total of 60 passports a day were processed. The number is expected to soar to 250 after the formal opening in January.
Each passport costs P950, according to Gapuz.
Services offered by the DFA satellite office includes issuance of new passports as well as renewal of expired ones, replacement of lost, expired or mutilated passports and authentication of other related documents.
Aside from DFA top executives, the formal opening of the DFA-RCO is expected to be graced by Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr., the provincial board led by Vice Gov. Jose Ferdinand Z. Calimlim, Jr., and former President Fidel V. Ramos.
By Dexter A. See