‘Passport on Wheels’ now in Cebu

CEBU CITY - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) rolled out its passport mega vans for the first time in Cebu as part of its efforts to address the massive demand for passport appointment slots in Cebu and nearby areas.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. sent two mega vans as part of its Passport on Wheels (POW) mobile outreach service at the SM Seaside City in Cebu.

The POW mission will see the first-time deployment of the mega vans, the newest addition to the DFA’S fleet of vehicles dedicated to the program. The mega vans will be stationed at SM Seaside City during the month-long mission.

Each mega van has the capability to process 800-1,000 passport applications per day, twice as many as the DFA’S regular POW vans launched last year.

Unlike a regular POW van that can only transport DFA personnel and equipment to passport processing sites, the mega vans have passport servicing equipment built-in to allow the data-capturing of the applicants inside the mega vans themselves.

This feature will allow the mega vans to service municipalities which lack the proper facilities to host a regular POW mission. The mega vans are heavy-duty vehicles designed to reach even farflung and mountainous municipalities.

The Cebu mission was arranged with the support of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas.