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Philippine Consulate to issue new passports
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Posted on May 29 2008
The Philippine Consulate General in Saipan wishes to inform all Filipinos in the CNMI that it will be accepting and processing for the new Machine Readable Passports by June this year.
The MRP is a project of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs in compliance with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization for document security and ease to travel.
A Machine Readable Passport is a passport where the personal details of the applicant is printed in such a way that it can be read by the naked eye; at the same time, it contains a “machine readable zone” containing the personal data of the passport holder that can be read by a machine or computer.
The processing of travelers at ports of entry and exit is faster because the data in the MRP can be read by a machine and stored automatically in the database of immigration offices. This means greater convenience and security for the traveler.
Only the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila prints the MRPs. Applications received by the Consulate will be sent to the DFA via diplomatic pouch. In view of the transit time, it will not take SIX (6) weeks for a passport to be released to the applicants, from the time the application is accepted.
All applicants whether for the renewal of a passport or those applying for the firs time MUST appear personally at the Philippine Consulate to affix thumb mark and sign his application form. Applications by mail cannot be accepted.
The new MRPs are issued by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs at no additional cost to the applicants. Maroon colored MRPs issued in the CNMI will still cost US $50.00, the same as the green-colored passports.
Current holders of valid Philippine passports (green passports that have not expired) need not worry as the green passport will still be honored as a bonafide travel document issued by the Government of the Philippines until it expires, even after the roll out of the new Machine Readable Passports.
For further information, call the Philippine Consulate general at 234-1848 or visit its office at the 5th Floor, Marianas Business Plaza, Susupe, Saipan.
