The 10-year passport
It was time for my daughter to have her passport renewed. I had her scheduled at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for an appointment. She went through the usual process we all go through just before the five-year period is up for our passports to expire. When I got her new passport, I immediately checked the bio-data page to make sure all details were correct. Then lo and behold, I was pleasantly surprised to see that she will not have to have another passport renewal in the next five years. In fact, her passport is set to expire in 10 years. Quite a long period.
This is by virtue of Republic Act 10928, which became law on 2 August 2017. Its Section 1 amends Section 10 of Republic Act 8293, the Passport Act of 1996, to now read, “Regular passports issued under this Act shall be valid for a period of ten (10) years; Provided, however, That for individuals under eighteen (18) years of age, only a passport with five (5)-year validity shall be issued; Provided, further, That the issuing authority may limit the period of validity to less than ten (10) years, whenever in the national economic interest or political stability of the country, such restriction is necessary; Provided, finally, That a new passport may be issued to replace one which validity has expired, the old passport being returned to the holder after cancellation.”
The provision is quite clear and simple. No need for further digestion. So now, the newly-issued passports come with a 10-year validity. My only concern is that, if we compare the old (with a five-year validity) with the new passport, both have the same number of pages — 44. Can we not surmise that we can probably be traveling twice as much in that 10-year period compared to the five years? What I am saying is that the 10-year passport should come with 88 pages, double the number of the old one. Otherwise, chances are, time will come when even long before the expiration of the 10-year period, the passport holder, who is a frequent traveler, will have
“What I am saying is that the 10-year passport should come with 88 pages, double the number of the old one.
to make an appointment with the DFA to apply for another passport. I checked the implementing rules of RA 10928 to see if there is any solution given to this situation. Apparently, it is silent in this regard. So, I referred to the implementing rules of RA 8293. Just the same, a circumstance like this is not addressed. But I guess logically, the passport holder will certainly and necessarily has to go to the DFA for another passport or at the very least, additional pages to his existing passport. Whatever it is, does that not seem to defeat the purpose of having a 10-year passport? Something to ponder on.
Now, why is it that when the passport applicant is below 18 years old, his passport will carry a five-year validity only? I surmise that a minor’s features change more rapidly and radically compared to an adult. As to the adult, his features are already defined and will stay the same, save for the appearance of wrinkles and the whitening of the hair, if not loss, over time. But for a child, compare his picture when he was months old to one taken at five years old. Most probably, you will have a difficult time recognizing him. Even pictures from puberty to adolescence. Facial features noticeably change within a five-year period. As I look at the pictures of my children, I readily notice the changes in their features year after year.
Anyway, with a passport with a 10-year validity, this adds to making traveling more convenient. Yes, we do not have to set an appointment and line up at the DFA every five years anymore, except when as discussed above, our passports run out of blank pages. And talking about convenience, I am so pleased with the DFA’s satellite offices. There are a number of them, even in malls. This greatly adds to accessibility. But maybe, to maximize the convenience this office affords, I still suggest that the new passport should have twice the number of pages than the old one.
“Then lo and behold, I was pleasantly surprised to see that she will not have to have another passport renewal in the next five years. In fact, her passport is set to expire in 10 years.