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DFA tells applicants: Don't line up beyond operational hours

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Filipinos hoping to work overseas line up outside the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City on March 24, 2022." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/24/department-of-foreign-affairs-line-up-outside-3242022.jpg"/><figcaption>Filipinos hoping to work overseas line up outside the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City on March 24, 2022.</figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA— The Department of Foreign Affairs urged Thursday urged Thursday the public to refrain from lining up outside its offices beyond operational hours.</p><p>In a press briefing, Christian de Jesus, deputy assistant secretary of the DFA Office of Consular Affairs (OCA), said the agency&#x27;s offices would continuously cater to walk-in apostille and passport applicants, albeit at a limited number.</p><p>&quot;Hindi po kailangan magpunta sa gabi o sa madaling araw dahil continuous po ang ating walk-in services every day. Three-hundred sa Aseana ang limit,&quot; he said, referring to the DFA&#x27;s office in Parañaque City.</p><p>(They don&#x27;t need to come at night or early morning because our walk-in services are continuous every day. The limit at the Aseana office is 300.)</p><p>De Jesus&#x27; statement comes after dozens of people applying for apostille certificates and passports had been lining up outside the DFA&#x27;s Aseana office at night to avail of services the following day.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/23/22/mga-kumukuha-ng-passport-dumagsa-sa-dfa-aseana">Mga kumukuha ng passport dumagsa sa DFA Aseana</a></li></ul><p>The following are the limit of walk-in applicants that the consular offices cater to each day:</p><ul>	<li>Megamall (100 applicants)</li>	<li>SM Manila (150 applicants)</li>	<li>Robinsons Star Mall (80 applicants)</li>	<li>Alabang Town Center (150 applicants)</li>	<li>Robinson’s Place Iloilo (60 applicants)</li>	<li>Ali Mall Cubao (80 applicants)</li>	<li>CSI Mall in La Union (50 applicants)</li>	<li>SM City Davao (90 applicants)</li>	<li>Pacific Mall Mandaue (100 applicants)</li>	<li>SM Downton Premier in Cagayan De Oro (37 applicants)</li></ul><p>Applicants who face difficulties in booking appointments and have “urgent and extraordinary circumstances” are urged to email the DFA-OCA at passportconcerns@dfa.gov.ph for passport concerns and oca.apostilleconcerns@dfa.gov.ph for apostille concerns.</p><p>The agency also called out recruitment agencies for telling applicants to line up and stay overnight at the Aseana office “so that all their travel documents could be expedited.”</p><p>“Other applicants conveyed that their agencies instructed them late at night to proceed to DFA-Aseana immediately,” De Jesus said.</p><p>“DFA considers this behavior of certain recruitment agencies highly irresponsible and malicious, not only for disregarding the DFA’s announced limits for walk-in applicants and attempting to monopolize DFA’s walk-in services to the detriment of other eligible applicants, but also for disregarding the welfare of our OFWs.”</p><p>The DFA also warned the public against transacting with fixers offering assistance in obtaining passport and authentication appointment slots in exchange for high fees.</p><p>“DFA is exerting all efforts and coordinating with relevant agencies to put a stop to the abuse of appointment slots by enterprising individuals and groups,” De Jesus said, vowing that the department is “continuously working on improving its processes and systems.”</p><div><strong>— Report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><strong> RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1973784" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

The Department of Foreign Affairs urged Thursday urged Thursday the public to refrain from lining up outside its offices beyond operational hours.