PASSPORT applicants may now monitor again the status of their passport application on the same website where they have applied online.
In a tweet, the DFA said on Tuesday passport applicants may now check the status of their passports using “an improved and consolidated passport tracking system.”
Applicants just need to log on to https://tracker.passport.gov.ph or go back to the site where they applied their passport at https://www.passport.gov.ph and then click “Track Your Passport.” It will now be called “Unified Passport Tracking System.”
The DFA had earlier suspended their Online Tracking System after discovering a potential data breach inadvertently exposing or compromising the personal information of passport applicants.
“The Passport Tracking System and the Pending Applications Tracker can no longer be accessed and used to verify the status of passport applications,” the DFA had said.
Under the new “Unified Passport Tracking System,” applicants only need to input their application reference number of their full name to be able to get an update.
3 new sites
Meanwhile, the DFA also opened three new passport sites at the three malls in Metro Manila and Batangas to handle “simple renewals” only to “ensure faster turnover of passport applicants per day.”
The new passport application sites are in Robinsons Novaliches in Quezon City, Robinsons Lipa in Batangas and SM Manila.
However, these sites will not accept “more complicated transactions” such as new or lost passport applications, change of name of women from maiden name to married name, dual citizens and application forms with erroneous entries.
This puts to four the number of Temporary Off-Site Passport Services (TOPS) which only accommodate simple renewal applications. Last month, TOPS in SM Olongapo opened for the same purpose of decongesting the surge in passport application.
“In keeping with the instructions of Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. to increase the number of appointment slots available to the public, DFA-OCA tweaked the design of these and succeeding TOPS to put a premium on the speed of transaction, as only by ensuring a faster turnaround time per applicant can we have increased capacity per day,” Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Senen Mangalile explained.
Mangalile led the launching of the sites accompanied by the Supervising Heads of Consular Office (CO) Emmanuel Arbado of CO NCR North, Ramon Nerida of CO NCR West, and Jose Christian Palillo of CO Lipa.
Appointments to any of these TOPS sites may be booked only at www.passport.gov.ph.
Assistant Secretary Mangalile reminded applicants who wish to apply at that these new TOPS that only those who are renewing their passports without complication such as error correction, lost passport, etc. will be accommodated.
Processing of “more complicated transactions” such as new or lost passport applications and those that require changes in the holder’s personal details will be handled by “Supervising Consular Offices” of these three new sites.