Pres. Marcos signs three new law
MANILA — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed into law measures that digitalize passport applications, require schools to allow disadvantaged students to take their exams even without a permit and strengthen the Philippines' salt industry.
The New Philippine Passport Act, No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act and the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act were signed into law last March 11.
The New Philippine Passport Act or Republic Act No. 11983 repealed the Passport of 1996 and mandated the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to establish and maintain an online application portal and electronic one-stop shop readily accessible on its website.
The law authorized the agency to render offsite and mobile passport services in areas outside of the consular offices and foreign service posts. It also tasked the DFA to arrange accommodations for the applications of regular passports by senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, minors aged seven years old and below, solo parents, overseas Filipino workers and individuals with emergency and exceptional cases through the creation of special lanes.
The law also enumerated the requirements for the application and issuance of passports, grounds for the denial of the issuance of, cancelation of and imposition of restrictions on passports and the penalties for passport-related offenses.
An individual or entity without legal authority who confiscates, retains or withholds any DFA-issued passport shall be imprisoned for not less than 12 years and shall pay a fine ranging from P1 million to P2 million. Passport forgers will face six to 15 years of imprisonment and a fine ranging from P100,000 to P250,000. Improper use of passport and other travel documents is punishable with six to 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of not less than P100,000 but not more than P250,000 while offenses relating to passport issuances are punishable with six to twelve-year imprisonment and a fine ranging from P100,000 to P250,000.
The New Philippine Passport Act also stated penalties for unfair and discriminatory practices in passport issuance, from suspension and dismissal from service and a fine of as much as P250,000 and six-year imprisonment at the maximum. No need for test permits The No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act or Republic Act 11984 allows students with unsettled fees to take exams.
The law will cover all public and private basic education or K to 12 institutions, higher education institutions, and technical vocational institutions. In the case of technical vocational institutions, the law will only cover long-term courses exceeding one year.
“All public and private educational institutions covered by this Act are hereby mandated to accommodate and allow disadvantaged students unable to pay tuition and other fees to take the periodic and final examinations without requiring a permit,” the law read.
In the case of K to 12 students, the mandate shall apply for the entire school year.
The municipal, city and provincial social welfare and development officer or the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) shall issue the necessary certificate on the disadvantaged status of the student due to calamities, emergencies, force majeure and other good or justifiable reasons in accordance with the rules and regulations issued by the agency.