He said the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs announced the issuance of the e-passport in March.
The equipment is already on island but it is not operational yet because of a “minor problem.”
Macaraig said they may either request for a new machine compatible with the power voltage in the CNMI or fix the one they have.
He announced the issuance of the e-passports during the induction of the Marianas Association of Filipino Engineers and Architects officers last week.
He encouraged Filipino nationals to apply for an e-passport.
The e-passport is currently used by over 60 countries. It is different from the machine readable passports that are issued by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.
Outgoing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo received the first e-passport with serial number EA0000001.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said green passports will still be honored until their expiration dates.
