RIYADH — The Philippine Embassy informs the Filipino community that in view of the systems transition and upgrade of the current Philippine e-Passport System, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila is experiencing operational disruptions resulting in the delay in the printing and release of e-Passports to applicants. To address these transitional issues and ensure uninterrupted service to the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia, the Embassy will implement the following measures effective Feb. 23. • Revalidate expired Philippine passports, including e-Passports, with a validity of (one) 1 year; and • Extend the validity of expiring passports, including e-Passports, for a period of one (1) year. Revalidation or extension will provided only under the following conditions: • Applicants have an urgent and legitimate need to travel; • The extension or revalidation is based on the premise that the passport whose renewal is applied/to be applied for at the embassy may not be available for release on time for the applicant's scheduled date of travel; and • Applicants submit a signed request for extension or revalidation. The said revalidation and extension of passports is only a temporary measure during this transition and upgrading period. Consular outreach services in Sakaka, Al Jouf The Philippine Embassy will conduct a Consular Outreach Mission for the release of e-Passports processed during the Embassy on Wheels (EOW) in 2014, as follows: Releasing of Passports: Estirah Asaiyah (Gate 7), Al Lagait, Sakaka, Al Jouf on March 6-7 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday and 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Saturday Previous applicants who wish to obtain their new e-Passports must bring their transaction receipt and old passport for cancelation. Should the applicant be unable to personally obtain his/her new e-Passport, an authorization letter must be presented his his/her representative, in addition to the transaction receipt and old passport. Consular outreach services in Hafar Al Batin The embassy will conduct a Consular Outreach Mission on March 20-21 to be held at the Ramada Hotel, Hafar Al Batin. The embassy will provide a full range of consular services to Filipino nationals in Hafr Al Batin and other nearby areas in the North Eastern Province. The appointment schedule of those who have previously booked last Feb. 13-14, which was postponed due to severe weather conditions, will be honored during the rescheduled mission. All passport applicants must also bring their old passport and a photocopy of their passport's data page. Passport application fee is SR240.00. For other consular services, applicants will be entertained on a “First come, first serve” basis. Applicants must bring a photocopy of their valid passport and other relevant documents. 559 Consular Services extended in Buraidah The embassy successfully held its 5th consular outreach mission or “Embassy on Wheels” (EOW) in Buraidah, Province of Qassim at the Philippine International School in Buraidah (PISB). The consular team was composed of First Secretary and Consular Mary Jennifer D. Dingal (Team Leader), Ms. Lilian Adiong, Mr. Edison Ipac, Ms. Yvonne Mofar, Masrisa Nasser- Pangcoga, Ms. Margarita Manigo and Mr. Acas Bayabao Jr, assisted by Filipino community volunteers from the PISB and Filipino community organizations in Buraidah. The team was able to process 434 e-Passport applications, four passport extensions, 12 Reports of Birth, and 37 notarials. The Team was also able to release 72 new e-Passports.
