1st DFA Provincial Satellite Office to open soon in Pangasinan

LINGAYEN—The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) brings its services closer to the people of Pangasinan as it opens a consular office at the Robinson’s Place in Calasiao town in the next few months that will process passports for clients in the area.

            The consular office will be DFA’s first provincial satellite office in the country outside Metro Manila that will cater not only to Pangasinenses but for all who wish to secure passports.

            Eriberto Castillo, Officer-in-Charge of DFA-NCR Northeast and DFA-Ali Mall, said the project aims to finally put to fruition the request of Pangasinan to establish a passport processing office here.

            It will be recalled that last year, Provincial Board Member Ranjit Shahani and all SP members authored Provincial Resolution No. 317-2013 endorsing the creation of a DFA passporting office in Calasiao town.

            In August of 2013, Shahani  announced in one of the regular sessions of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan the potentials of the project.

            Cesar Balarbar, another DFA official met today with Provincial Administrator Rafael Howard  F. Baraan, Executive Assistant IV Ramon M. Morden, SP Secretary Atty. Verna Nava-Perez and Provincial Information Officer Orpheus M. Velasco and discussed some details of the proposed passporting services of the DFA in Pangasinan.

            It was learned that the consular office will start its operation after the office site which is expected to finish construction in May will be completed.

            The services of the satellite office will include issuance of new passports, renewal of expired passports, replacement of lost, expired or mutilated passports and authentication of necessary documents.

            As this developed, PA Baraan said this is a very good move as he lauded the DFA for the establishment of a consular office in the province.

            Baraan said this will give Pangasinenses and those from neighboring towns an easier access to the services of DFA.

            With the large number of overseas workers from Pangasinan, Baraan said the DFA’s field service office will greatly help lessen the burden of traveling to Manila or to the regional consular office in San Fernando, La Union to secure passports.

            Aside from the purposes of economy and accessible service, the passporting office can also reach out and serve the various towns of Tarlac and Nueva Ecija among others.

/adv