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Filipinos in UAE rejoice passport validity extension
Dubai - The government has yet to issue directions on when the new rules will come into effect.
With the new law, regular Philippine passports will be valid for 10 years, except for Filipinos under 18 years old, who will be issued passports valid for only five years.
"This is definitely a welcome news," Allen Erestain told Khaleej Times. "When I applied for my passport for the first time, it took me hours waiting at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila and I had do it again after five years. Now at least my passport will be valid for 10 years."
Filipino expats in the UAE have long called for the extension of the Philippine passport for economic and practical reasons.
Friends Gay Mendoza, Dan Toledo, Rafael Roxas and Arianne Galamiton all agreed that the passport validity extension will save them time, effort and money in the long term.
"Job well done to our government. I feel valued now as an OFW (overseas Filipino worker) by rewarding our hardship and sacrifices with a simple but meaningful law like that," Mendoza said.
"At least we have 10 years before we can worry that our passport is no longer valid. The workload of those in the DFA and the Philippine Consulate will also be lessened," added Vicente de los Santos.
Meanwhile, Dubai resident Dr Angelo Santos said: "The new passport is better in terms of design. However, I think I'll be happier if they've provided more pages for frequent travellers like me. Design is always secondary, they should have thought and prioritize functionality first before layout and design." Nhel Morona added that the new passport should not be costly.
The DFA has yet to issue the implementing rules and regulations for the law to take effect and reveal how much the new passport will cost.
angel@khaleejtimes.com
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