Filipino passport applicants may still choose between the machine readable passport and electronic passport which will be available by october 2009. The new, maroon colored passport will replace the green passport, which is manually scripted. It contains a “machine readable zone” containing the personal data of the passport holder that can be read by a machine or a computer. The Philippine Machine Readable Passport incorporates the biometrics of the holder making it easy to identify the bearer and at the same time minimizes the instances of tampering and falsification. This shall ensure the integrity of the passport and greatly facilitates the travel of its bearer across the borders. Our machine readable passport embodies world class standards and is now at par with the standards of passport issued by the developed countries. It increases the credibility of the Philippines and better secures the identity of its bearer.
The new maroon passports will cost the same as the manually read green passports at P500 for regular processing and P750 for express processing. I still remember when i apply for my new passport when we're in Manila last month, look at the long lines below but for me, it only took two hours for the whole process, its cheaper and faster unlike when you apply here in Germany.
Last August 11, the new electronic passport was launched and the first biometric passport was released for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The security features reportedly include a hidden encoded image, an ultra-thin holographic laminate, and a tamper-proof electronic microchip that stores the passport holder’s photograph and other personal data for easy verification of identity and is fully inter-operable. The new epassport cost 950 pesos.
Photo credit-GMA News TV
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