DFA launches ePassport

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) launched the Philippine “ePassport” with enhanced security features that will also facilitate and hasten the entry formalities of Filipino travelers to other countries.

President Arroyo was the first recipient of the ePassport presented by Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo during the launching ceremonies coinciding with the DFA’s 111th founding anniversary.

The President’s ePassport bears the serial number EA0000001. To illustrate its features, Mrs. Arroyo scanned her ePassport on the passport reader that revealed her biometric information, digital signature and photograph.

A joint project of the DFA and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the ePassport makes the Philippines compliant with international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), officials said.

Filipino travelers and migrant workers would benefit from the globally compliant ePassport currently being used in over 60 countries.

The ePassport’s security features have been enhanced with a hidden encoded image, an ultra-thin, holographic laminate; and a tamper-proof electronic microchip.

Its integrated circuit chip stores the passport holder’s photograph and other personal data for easy verification of identity and is fully inter-operable.

This means border control officials in other countries using a passport chip reader could read the chip.

The ePassport would facilitate and hasten the entry formalities of migrant workers and Filipinos residing in other countries and travelers, aside from denying opportunities for passport fraud and tampering.

Despite its advanced security features, the ePassport would be available for P950 only, making it one of the cheapest in the world.

Filipino passport applicants may still choose between the ePassport and the machine-readable passport (MRP) currently priced at P500.

The ePassport project is part of the DFA’s passport modernization program that started in 2007 with the launch of the machine-readable passport. To date, about four million MRPs have been issued.

Initially, application for the ePassport would be on appointment basis. Full implementation of the project will take place in the next three months.

DFA Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Domingo Lucenario Jr. said passport applicants could choose an ePassport or an MRP.

He said the international community would still recognize the old green passports and the MRPs as valid until their expiration date.

“The Philippines requested the international community to honor the green passports and MRPs until the expiration date of these passports,” Lucenario said.

He added the MRP also met the minimum requirements set by the ICAO.

“When we talk about ePassport it’s extremely difficult to tamper because of additional features. We’ll detect multiple application and we’ll have more efficient passport processing,” he said.

The ICAO has urged governments until April 2010 to start issuing ePassports.

“This is now a global standard. Many countries are going to that direction. More than 60 countries now have ePassports,” Lucenario said.

Lucenario added the Philippine passport at the price of P500 has not increased for the past 12 years.

The BSP had an agreement with the DFA to directly contract a private company to undertake the ePassport project.

In a public bidding conducted by the BSP in 2007, French firm Oberthur Technologies emerged as winner, besting 14 companies.

The BSP awarded the ePassport project to Oberthur that was also responsible for issuing the first ICAO-compliant ePassport in Belgium. Oberthur also provided the electronic component of the first ICAO-compliant ePassport in Thailand.

Oberthur would also provide the DFA with an end-to-end solution to its passport application, processing, issuance processes, database systems management and security management.

Oberthur gave assurance that the chip in the ePassport is certified by ICAO and the signature of the passport holder is contained in the chip that will appear on the personal data page.