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Validity of Philippine passport increased to 10 years

Current passports with five-year validity are still valid until the expiry date

Kabayans, here's the good news: The cost of renewing and getting a new e-passport is still the same (Dh240) even though its validity has been extended to 10 years, up from the previous five-year validity, Philippine consul-general Paul Raymund Cortes told Khaleej Times.
Philippine passports applied and processed beginning from January 3 will get 10-year validity, provided the holder is not a minor, according to a statement released by the Office of Public Diplomacy at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila on Wednesday. 
The new passport validity period came into effect after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 10928 into law in August last year but the implementation was postponed for five months to enable the DFA to inform other countries about the new passports. 
Cortes said Filipinos in the UAE who applied for their passports on January 3 will get their passports early next month. The waiting period for passports coming from Manila after completion of application is six to eight weeks. 
"Current passports with five-year validity are still valid until the expiry date but there is no rule that does not allow you to apply for a new passport even if the current one is still valid," Cortes added. 
The 10-year passport will have the same design, security features and the number of pages (44) as the five-year Philippine electronic passport booklets, according to the DFA. 
Under the new Philippine Passport Act (RA 10928), applicants who are below 18 years old will still be issued five-year passports. "Their (minors) face will still change. After they turn 18, they can renew their passports and get a 10-year validity," DFA Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano earlier told reporters in Manila.
- angel@khaleejtimes.com