CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday opened a temporary off-site passporting services (TOPS) center at the Robinsons Starmills Pampanga.
In an interview, DFA Assistant Secretary Senen Mangalile said the TOPs will ease the backlog of consular offices in the renewal of passports for tourists and overseas Filipino workers.
The TOPS here, he said, can accommodate 300 applicants per day, with the possibility of increasing this to 500 applicants in the coming months.
The TOPS at Robinson’s Pampanga is the 17th among the 20 satellite office nationwide that the consular office is opening this year.
“This will address the high demand of passport renewal slots per day,” Mangalile stressed.
Meanwhile, Robinsons Land Corp. External Affairs and Operations Support Director Irving Yu has assured that government services at Robinsons mall are made accessible and convenient to the public through their partnerships with government agencies.
As of now, TOPS sites are located at Robinsons Place Malolos, Robinsons Angeles, Robinsons Starmills in San Fernando, Robinsons Place Bacolod, and Robinsons Place Iloilo – each targeting to accept around 500 slots per day.
To date, there are a total of 17 DFA TOPS sites including those inaugurated last year in Robinsons Magnolia, Robinsons Novaliches, Robinsons Galleria South, Robinsons Place Lipa and Robinsons Place Las Pinas.
Asec Mangalile said in getting a slot, applicants must first set an appointment through the DFA Online Appointment System at www.passport.gov.ph. Only those with fully accomplished printed appointments shall be accepted in the passport processing site.
