Governor Erico Aris Aumentado delivers his message during the inauguration of the new DFA consular office in Tagbilaran City, Bohol. | Photo from the FB page of Erico Aris Aumentado
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Boholanos no longer have to travel to neighboring provinces to apply for a passport or have their passports renewed.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has opened a consular office in Tagbilaran City to cater to the needs of the at least 1.3 million Boholanos.
For the Bohol provincial government, this is another milestone that will boost jobs creation, tourism, and the province’s economic growth.
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Governor Erico Aris Aumentado led the blessing and inauguration of the new consular office located at the 5th floor of the Alturas Mall in Tagbilaran City on Friday, November 29.
“While the mobile passport services conducted by the Provincial Government in partnership with DFA are invaluable, nothing can compare to the presence of an office that will specifically cater to the needs of the Boholano people. Today, that dream has finally been realized; Bohol now has its very own DFA Consular Office,” Aumentado said during his speech.
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The new DFA office in Tagbilaran City, Bohol. | Photo from the FB page of Erico Aris Aumentado
“Let’s make this a template of how a consular office is created in our provinces and regions. From day one, when this project came forth the leadership of our Secretary (Manalo), is (that) this will be the model consular office,” said Jesus Domingo, the Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Affairs of the DFA.
Passport services
In the past, Bohol residents had to travel to Cebu, Dumaguete or Tacloban to avail of passport services. But with the DFA office in Tagbilaran City, they can now avail of passport services close to home.
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The new DFA office in Tagbilaran City, Bohol. | Photo from the FB page of Erico Aris Aumentado
Marlito Uy, general manager of Alturas Supermarket Corporation (ASC), said that the opening of the DFA office in their mall was their ‘gift’ to the Boholanos as they also celebrate their 50th anniversary this year.
DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo extended his congratulations to Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap and 1st District Representative Edgar Chatto in a pre-recorded message.
“We would not have realized it without good planning, without good implementation, and without all of us working together,” Manalo said as he underscored House Bill No. 8767 that seeks to establish a DFA consular office in Tagbilaran City that Chato authored.
Consular office
On Monday, the DFA consular office in Tagbilaran City will start to cater to passport applications and renewals on a first-come-first-serve basis, with 150 allocated slots for walk-in applicants, and 50 slots reserved for Persons with Disabilities.
Starting December 9, online appointments will already be required, with a list of requirements posted at the DFA passport website: https://passport.gov.ph/appointment.
DFA Bohol will be manned by 15 newly hired personnel who took their oath before Adelio Angelito Cruz, the assistant secretary of the Office of Consular Affairs, on November 29.