Ambassador Ramoncito Marino told reporters that renewal passports which used to take only two hours will now take at least a month.
Marino said this is because the new Philippine Passports are now designed with new security features to prevent tampering and enhance its integrity.
The new Passport is maroon in color and incorporates security features such as microtexts, invisible printing, optical variable device and holographic features on the laminate.
Marino said the change is in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which sets the standards for passport and other travel documents.
He added that by 2010 , all passports in the world must comply with ICAO.
Marino said non-machine readable passports issued before the full implementation will remain valid until their expiration.
He added that it will take a longer time to process the passports because it has to be sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs office in Manila.
