Lifetime passport validity for seniors pushed
I hope Congress and President Marcos also sign this new proposal. It will be beneficial for seniors. It will spare us from the lengthy procedure
House lawmakers seek to spare senior citizens from the inconvenience of renewing passports by amending a law that will soon grant them lifetime passport validity.
“That’s a great proposal and good news for us seniors,” said Mala Techico, 73, a former overseas Filipino worker.
Owing to some conditions, such as their age, the lifetime validity of passports for seniors, according to Techico, could be a beneficial move to save elders from the hassle of a “lengthy” and “tiring” process renewal.
Proposed House Bill 6682, authored by Representatives Paolo Duterte (Davao City), Eric Yap (Benguet), and Edvic Yap and Jeffrey Soriano, both of ACT-CIS party, once enacted, would grant elders 60 above a lifetime validity issued or renewed passports by amending the current Philippine Passport Act.
“The passport renewal procedure at this age can be really challenging. What more to those who are ill or have no one to go to accompany them? Techico said.
For someone like Techico, who worked as a domestic helper in Singapore for two decades, the passport renewal process was a source of stress to her due to the tedious procedure.
This was especially true before the advent of online applications, which simplified the process considerably.
Despite having the privilege of applying for or renewing their passports without needing to schedule an online appointment, Techico believes providing them with an additional perk is preferable since most seniors tend to get exhausted easily.
Nevertheless, seniors are eligible to walk in at any of the DFA’s Consular Offices in the country without any appointment since there is a courtesy lane for them.
In 2017, then-President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 10928, which extended the country’s passport validity from five to ten years, except for minors, whose passports are only valid for five years.
“I hope Congress and President Marcos also sign this new proposal. It will be beneficial for seniors. It will spare us from the lengthy procedure,” Techico said.
The proponents of the bill, meanwhile, said that given the recurrence of health conditions, senior citizens should refrain from undergoing the rigorous and time-consuming renewal or application process for passports.
“The 1987 Constitution guarantees the adoption of an integrated and comprehensive approach to the country’s elderly in terms of their health development as well as other social services at an affordable cost,” said the lawmakers in their explanatory note.
“Hence, in pursuit of providing convenience to the country’s senior citizens, mitigating the exorbitant prices of various services provided to them, and appreciating the elderly’s invaluable contribution to the nation’s rich history, there is a need to extend the said constitutional mandate even in the service of the application and renewal of the senior citizen’s passports,” they added.
Approximately 8.7 million Filipinos are 60 or older, according to the Commission on Population and Development, cited by the legislators.
Techico, who intends to renew her passport this year, said Congress should pass legislation like this, among others, in consideration of the health conditions of seniors.
Once passed into law, the measure would grant senior citizens a passport with lifetime validity, allowing them to enjoy their retirement benefits without the hassle of passport application and/or renewal.