The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is temporarily suspending all of its services in its Luzon offices in compliance with the enhanced community quarantine announced by the government.
On March 16, President Rodrigo Duterte declared an enhanced community quarantine over the entire Luzon region, effective starting March 17 until April 12, 2020, to help curb the spread of the coronavirus disease or COVID-19. (Click here to learn more.)
In a statement on its official Facebook page, the DFA announced that the Office of Consular Affairs in Aseana Parañaque City and all Consular Offices in Luzon will suspend their operations starting today, March 17, 2020, until further notice.
“Passport applicants with confirmed appointments will be accommodated once operations resume,” the DFA added. Individuals seeking Authentication and Civil Registration services are advised to avail of those services once offices reopen.
Meanwhile, the DFA Consular Offices located in Visayas and Mindanao will be operating with skeletal workforces and prioritize those with urgent consular needs, like overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and individuals with medical emergencies, starting March 17, 2020, until further notice, according to another statement from the agency.
There will also be no Saturday operations in Visayas and Mindanao for the time being.
Passport applicants in these regions with appointments scheduled from March 9 to April 8, including those with Saturday appointments, will be accommodated from April 13 to May 29 during regular office hours, except Saturdays.
Individuals seeking Authentication and Civil Registration services are advised to avail of those services during the same period.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWFinally, the DFA advises the public to prepare contingencies for their travel plans since passport deliveries are expected to be disrupted or delayed.
For questions and inquiries, you may contact the Consular Office where your appointment was scheduled, email oca.concerns@dfa.gov.ph, or call 8651 9400.
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