Vice Governor Rene Lopez Relampagos has led the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) in urging the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to conduct its “Passport on Wheels” program here in the province, a report says.
The SP has asked the DFA for the conduct of the said program via a resolution that was approved on Tuesday, October 26, 2021.
The request to the DFA by the SP was an initiative of Relampagos to help the Boholanos in their need to get or renew their passports, especially the overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Bohol who find it difficult to renew their passports due to the pandemic.
According to Relampagos, there has been clamor from our fellow Boholanos especially coming from the OFW to invite the DFA and set up their passport processing center, known as Passport on Wheels.
“Because of this pandemic, they [OFWs] find it very hard to go to the consular offices in order for them to have their passports renewed. So we would like to request the DFA if possible they could do their Passport on Wheels program again here in the province of Bohol,” Relampagos said.
Based on records, the DFA has conducted a Passport on Wheels program in the province back in August 4, 2018 in Dauis which has served a total of 1,450 passport applicants. It was followed by another Passport on Wheels service October 12 to 13, 2019 in Tagbilaran City which has served a total of 1,971 passport applicants.
Moreover, about 1,177 passport applicants were served on October 4-5, 2019 in another Passport on Wheels service conducted also in Tagbilaran City.
“We are again making this request to the DFA that hopefully, they will consider for the convenience of all those OFWs and seafarers here in the province,” Relampagos added.
Here in Bohol, according to the Overseas Workers Welfares Administration (OWWA) as of September 2021, the province has a total of 55,836 active OFWs and 245,896 Inactive OFWs.
“If you add both the active and inactive OFWs in the province of Bohol, it’s a total of 301,732. So you can see that as far as the economy of Bohol is concerned, these are the ones that really support our local economy. The remittances of these OFWs and the same is true as far as the country is concerned. We are surviving because of OFWs as far as their remittances are concerned. This is a big service that we would like to give them,” Relampagos further added.
It can be recalled that back on January 19, 2021, Relampagos also initiated m a resolution in the SP, which was approved, requesting the DFA to establish an extension m office in Bohol.