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| DFA Undersecretary for Administration Rafael Seguis (4th from left), Office of the Consular Affairs Acting Asst. Secretary Wilfredo Santos (5th from left) , Senior Special Asst. of the DFA Undersecretary for Administration Rowena Sanchez (3rd from right) and DFA-NCR East Office OIC Merle Puruganan (2nd from right) graced the opening of the DFA First metro Consular Satellite office at SM Megamall. Joining them are SM SVP for Controllership Ricky Lim, SM Supermalls President Annie Garcia, SM Department Store President Jorge T. Mendiola and Most Rev. Barnardino Cortez. |
Conveniently located at the 7th
floor of the mall’s newly opened Building C, the 1,300 square meter DFA
consular satellite office (or DFA-National
Capital Region East Office ) offers
New Passport Application, Passport Renewal, Replacement of Lost Passport and
Authentication services.
This
office is part of the out-of-the-box formula that the DFA pursued last year to
make their services faster, more accessible and convenient to the public and
also as a result of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements the DFA
entered with SM and other private companies.
This partnership with SM will give mallgoers the opportunity
to have their passports processed while shopping, having fun, and doing their
other errands in SM Megamall.
“The opening of DFA-NCR
East is the continuing fruition of the President and the Secretary of Foreign
Affairs’ commitment to bringing world class and convenient service to the
public,” DFA Undersecretary for Administration Rafael E. Seguis said.
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Mandaluyong
Councilors Francisco Esteban and Alexander Sta. Maria.
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It can accommodate up to 1,000 applicants a day for New Passport Application, Passport Renewal
and Replacement of Lost Passport.
Applicants are encouraged to schedule an appointment for fast
facilitation of their passport applications, as only applicants with scheduled
appointments, PWD, OFW and senior citizens with valid proof of age shall be
accommodated.
“One’s application can
be finished in an hour or less while Seniors, PWD and OFW are guaranteed to
finish their application in 45 minutes.” said DFA Passport Division Director
Andre Estanislao.
“Two hundred (200) applicants a day can be accommodated for
the Authentication service. Walk-in applicants are also accepted here,”
he adds.
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NSO
Administrator and Civil Registrar General
Carmelita Ericta and SM SVP for Controllership Ricky Lim.
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The DFA-NCR East will be open to
public from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Mondays to Saturdays, for both processing
and releasing. It will also be open
from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Sundays, but for releasing only.
To schedule an appointment, applicants can log on to www.passport.com.ph or to
www.megamallpassport.com.ph or call the DFA appointment hotline (02) 737-1000.
The DFA-NCR East office is located at the 7th
floor, Building C of SM Megamall. This project with the Department of Foreign
Affairs is one of the many services SM extends beyond shopping to its
customers. Apart from offering foreign
exchange, remittance, bills payments, show tickets, and phone card services at
its Department Stores and Business Centers in the mall, SM also facilitates
government services through tie-ups with the NSO, Pag-ibig, Phil-Health.
