Authentication period for travel papers cut

Starting this Monday, April 2, the length of time needed to authenticate documents for overseas employment or travel would be shortened to only one-to-three days from the previous four-to-eight days, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced recently.

"This new process will benefit the public immensely. It will make the processing faster and will save the public time, money, and effort. It will further enhance the credibility of Philippine documents," Foreign Affairs assistant secretary Domingo Lucenario Jr. said.

The new authentication procedure for such documents as birth certificates and school will skip the layer provided before by the Malacañang Authentication Office.

Lucenario said the streamlining of the authentication process was made possible by Executive Order 582, dated last December 4, which effectively abolished the Malacañang Authentication Office and named the DFA-OCA the sole agency for authenticating documents for use abroad.

The usual documents are from Air Transportation Office, Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Plant Industry, Commission on Higher Education, National Bureau of Investigation, Professional Regulations Commission, Department of Education, Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Land Transportation Office, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and Regional Trial Courts.

Lucenario, however, said for documents issued by other agencies, such as the National Statistics Office, applicants should bring the documents directly to the DFA-OCA for authentication. He added that the present cost for this is only P100.

"This is not to include the incidental costs of transportation and food that the public spends when they have to have their papers authenticated," he said.

Lucenario said that people that wanted their documents authenticated, by these agencies, no longer need to go to the DFA twice but just have to wait for the release of these to them after paying the authentication fee.

He said he already met with representatives of these agencies and it was agreed that all documents for authentication would be transmitted directly to his office in sealed envelopes with security features to ensure their integrity.

Soon, he said, online verification will be possible and by July, the authentication function will be devolved to the department's 12 external and regional consular offices. He said these moves will further cut down processing time and expense for the public. - Jasmin R. Uy/RAE