Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 8) — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) expressed concerns over proposals of some lawmakers seeking to grant lifetime validity on passports of senior citizens.
In a committee hearing headed by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairperson Imee Marcos on Thursday, the DFA said that granting lifetime validity to passports even for the elderly will not be in accordance with international standards.
“We’re very concerned because under ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), the limited validity is up to ten years and no country at the moment is actually doing that practice,” said Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Henry Bensurto Jr.
The DFA official said that when they conducted inquiries with other countries to determine if they also plan to grant lifetime passport validity, they found that “none is thinking along those lines.”
He also cited one of the provisions of the ICAO which considers the “limited durability of the documents and the changing appearance of the document holder over time” and recommends a validity period of not more than ten years.
“One practical application is that when you enter a country or when you apply for a visa, there is always a question of date of issuance and date of expiry,” he added.
Marcos then asked the DFA on what concessions they can give to senior citizens if they are not supportive of Senate Bill No. 1197 proposed by Senator Lito Lapid, which states that new or renewed passports of Filipinos aged 60 years and above shall have lifetime validity.
In response, Bensurto said the agency provides senior citizens with courtesy lanes, expedites the processing of their passports, and makes sure “that we pay attention to them and prioritize them.”
