DFA says sorry as passport applicants complain of missing confirmation receipt for online payments | Malou Talosig-Bartolome (2024)

ONLINE passport application experienced another systems glitch as confirmation for payment of passports could not be sent back to the applicants to confirm their appointments.

Irate applicants flooded the social media accounts of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and those of Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. and Undersecretary Brigido Dulay.

Lyza Aquino, an ABS-CBN reporter, tweeted that she had to pay several times because she could not get the confirmation code for when she applied for the passport of her five-year old son.

“Ilang araw na pong may glitch ang system ng DFA. Nakailang bayad na po kami ng P1,400 sa mga off site offices ninyo pero hindi kami ina-accomodate dahil may systems glitch daw at hindi daw pwede sa kanila present ang proof of payment.

“Ilang araw na po ganito. Ilang pera na rin natapon namin kaka-rebook pero nagloloko pa rin ang system ninyo. Sana kahit proof of payment tanggapin na po nila kasi gusto nila maghintay kami na maayos pa ang system bago makapagrenew. May mga flights po kami na may dates na,” Aquino wrote.

Twitter netizen@Nicaaaaaaaah also complained that she and four of her family members applied for passports online but everyone didn’t get their respective appointment codes.

They called the DFA hotline and claimed that they were told to go the Robinson’s Mall in Novaliches where she intends to personally complete her passport application, to see if they can be accommodated.

Since her schedule of appointment was supposed to be yesterday, she went to the mall and encountered a long queue of passport applicants who she said were also trying their luck to get an appointment.

“DFA opened satellite locations for passport renewal. People secured slots online, paid, but got no appointment code. Went to DFA & was turned away as they need the code to process the renewal. Hotline is busy, no turnaround time.

“They spent time online, probably skipped work, just to be turned away because your system is not working!” @Nicaaaaaaaaah tweeted.

She posted photos and a video of passport applicants queuing at a DFA satellite office inside a mall.

In a statement, the DFA Office of Consular Affairs issued an apology to passport applicants “for the inconvenience and disruption caused by this technical issue.”.

Itsaid they are “working to resolve the issues on the booking of passport appointments, and applicants’ non-receipt of confirmation emails.”

“The delay in the transmission of confirmation emails is likely caused by the overloading of servers, compounded by the late remittance of payments made through the over-the-counter payment mode,” it explained.

All application packets of those who made appointments this week will be emailed within the day. Those who are scheduled from the week of November 21 are asked to wait for their confirmation emails at least 2 days. They are advised to regularly check their email inboxes including spam or junk folders.

If they still have not received any email confirmation in the next 2 days, they canemail oca.concerns@dfa.gov.phto follow up.

Those who received their application packets late or beyond the supposed appointment daterequested to coordinate with the concerned consular office (CO) for the new schedule.They will be rescheduled within 30 days from the receipt of the email from DFA-OCA.

“Please note that only booked appointments that were successfully paid online will be confirmed and shall receive the application packets. If no proof of payment and/or payment reference code was received, this means that there is no confirmed appointment,” it added.

The DFA-OCA assured the public that it continues “to find ways and exerts all efforts to improve the delivery of its services” and requests the public for patience.