Consul General Medardo Macaraig said the response was “great.”
“Majority of our clients during the first day applied for the new ePassport, and a few others brought in other concerns,” Macaraig said.
The consulate used the new mobile ePassport equipment to process the passport applications from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
On Sunday morning, more people came to have their ePassport applications filed or air their concerns with the consulate team.
“This is the first time that we went out of Saipan to provide mobile services using ePassport technology. We have been successful in providing this state-of-the-art technology and services to the Filipinos on Saipan, and we are happy to bring the same services to the people on Tinian,” Macaraig said.
He said they will be providing the same mobile ePassport services to the Filipinos on Rota next month.
Unlike the application process for the previous Philippine passports, the ePassport no longer requires applicants to spend money for photographs but other application requirements remain the same.
“We are very happy that the Philippine consulate came to us because it saves us a lot of time and money and we don’t have to come to Saipan to apply for passports anymore,” one applicant told the Variety.
The applicant said they appreciated the mobile services in light of the hard times and the very expensive airfare.
More details about ePassport application requirements and other consular documents can be found at www.philippinessaipan.org.
For faster processing, applicants can download the application form from the website, fill it out and fax or mail it to P.O. Box 500731, Saipan.
For inquiries, call the Philippine Consulate General on Saipan at 234-1848, fax number 234-1850 or e-mail [email protected]
