Sigh of relief for passport and driver’s license holders

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed this week laws that will benefit passport and driver’s license holders as the validity of the said documents has been extended.

Under Republic Act 10928, Philippine passports have now their extended validity from 5 years to 10 years except those passports of minors who will only be issued with 5 years validity. Further, the validity of passports may also be limited by the government in such cases whenever in the national economic interest or political stability of the country, such restriction is necessary.

Kapampangans may be proud of such law as it was authored by Pampanga 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The former President-turned congresswoman herself was elated as she said that her efforts paid off in addressing the tedious process and entailed expenses on the renewal of passports.

Indeed, Filipinos have to endure the long queuing lines and the cost of passports being renewed. Department of Foreign Affairs’ offices have their passport offices now in malls but still, they are insufficient to accommodate Filipinos who wanted to have their passports or have their existing ones renewed.

In addition to the process, those issued Philippine passports have to shell out some amount every 5 years for their renewal. Overseas Filipino Workers meanwhile need to have their work disrupted just to renew their passports in Philippine embassies and consular offices abroad in every 5 year-span, period too short for them.

Also, there is now a law that likewise extends the validity of driver’s licenses. Prior to the said law, Philippine driver’s license validity is 3 years. This means that drivers in the country have to go to Land Transportation Office (LTO) driver’s licensing offices every 3 years to renew their driver’s licenses.

If the renewal process for passports is tedious, then the renewal of driver’s license is far worse since the mere renewal of driver’s license in LTO offices is a test of patience and adaptability to unfavorable conditions.

The long line of driver’s license applicants (including those renewing their driver’s licenses) makes one spend half a day or more only to have his driver’s license issued. Often, the plastic identification cards (ID) of driver’s licenses are not issued on the same day of application due to a non-serviceable or defective ID machine.

The driver’s license applicant needs to go back to the LTO then and suffered another queuing to get the ID card after around 3 months. In addition to the new laws, the newlysigned RA10929 establishes a free internet access program in public places such as government offices, public basic education institutions, state colleges and universities and TESDA technology institutions, public hospitals, health centers and rural health units, public parks, plazas, libraries and barangay reading centers, public airports and seaports and public transport terminals.

The aim of the law is to promote knowledgebuilding among citizens and enable them to participate and compete in the evolving information and communication age.

However, some netizens or those who often use the internet are in doubt on the speed of the free internet access. It can be recalled that for a number of times, the Philippines has been in the limelight for being one of the countries that provide slow internet access despite the fact that we are now of the advancing internet age. Good luck to all of us netizens. SSPampanga