Modernizing the Philippine Passport for the Global Filipino

DR. ALBERTO G. ROMULO

Secretary of Foreign Affairs

At the Launching of the Philippine E-Passport

11 August 2009

Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo;

My colleagues in the Cabinet;

Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco:

Members of the Diplomatic Corps;

Friends:

Skeptics, critics and Thomases have said that we would never have machine readable, or ePassport during your Presidency.

Today, we prove them wrong.

Indeed, two years ago, in June 2007, we already proved them wrong.

We brought to the Filipino people the first world-class machine readable passport or MRP.

In 2007, we issued 228,430 MRPs, 2 years ahead of the ICAO deadline.

In 2008, 2,097,383 MRPs were issued.

From January to August 9, 2009, 1,500,402 MRPs have been issued and delivered.

From 2007 to date, the DFA has issued and delivered a total of 3,826,215 MRPs.

The MRP has brought immense benefit to our people.  With a quick swipe of the MRP, immigration clearance is accomplished in less than 30 seconds.

Our Filipino travelers - workers, professionals, businessmen, students - no longer suffer the embarrassment or humiliation of waiting, anxiously, in long separate lines for their clearance.

Our countrymen's travel experiences the world over offer eloquent testimonies to the international credibility and acceptability of the MRP and now the ePassport.

Representing millions of Filipinos with MRPs, this is what our countrymen all say:

• Eduardo Panganiban in Ankara, Turkey: "Mabilis and hassle-free ang entry namin sa Washington D.C. airport, isang swipe lang ng passport at isang tanong lang sa akin ng immigration officer...okay na."
• Gemalyas Flor, OFW in Ghazar, Lebanon: "Para sa akin, the best ang passport ngayon dahil ang picture ay di na pwedeng dayain. New system, wala na makakapandaya o makapanloko pa ng passport. Hinahangaan ko ang bagong sistema nyo para sa kaligtasan ng ating mga kababayan..."
• Rizalyn Manlapaz, Filipino nurse in Saudi: "Ok na ok po ngayon ang pagrenew ng passport. Mabilis kaysa dati."
• Geraldo Ugale, OFW in Malaysia: "Secure ang machine readable passport. Maipagmamalaki ng Pilipino."
• Cathy Rose Garcia, Filipino Journalist in South Korea: "Machine readable passport makes it easy for OFWs. There are no hassles at airports."
• Haidee Caliyo in Ontario, Canada: "I am happy to receive my machine-readable passport...With just one swipe at the airport counters, all my personal data come out...I feel proud to use the machine readable passport because its features are now similar to the passports of first world countries like Canada and the U.S."
• Dr. Ricardo Braganza of San Juan, Metro Manila: "There is a big difference between the old passport and the machine readable passport. When I was travelling around Southeast Asia, every immigration inspection I had gone through went smoothly and I was not even asked for my ID anymore as compared to the green passport."

There are countless other Filipinos travelling overseas who have nothing but praises for their MRPs.

Madam President, after the successful launch of the MRPs in 2007, we could have rested on our laurels and taken it easy.

We did not.  We wanted to give our people the latest - the best - the ultimate in travel documents.

Today, we again prove the naysayers wrong.

We have raised our standard one level more above the MRP - the state of the art Philippine ePassport!

The ePassport takes the MRP to the next higher level and standard in travel documents:  an embedded microchip containing the following:

·         Data essential in verifying the passport holder's identity, including the holder's personal data, biometrics and digital signature.

This chip is interoperable, that is to say, it can be read by any standard passport machine reader in border controls worldwide.

• A complex laminate that protects the datapage against tampering;
• Customized invisible images on every page; and
• A hidden and coded technology that allows the encoding of the holder's name and passport number on the passport photo.

This isworld class ePassport at its best!

With the ePassport travel document, we join the exclusive club of countries issuing ePassports - among them - Japan, Republic of Korea, India, Hong Kong in China, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, the UK, Russia, and the U.S.A.

Madam President, while the DFA is proud of the MRP and now the ePassport we do not claim sole credit for this singular achievement.

Indeed we were never alone in this journey.

From the very start, beginning from the green passport to the MRP, and from the MRP to the ePassport, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has been for the last 25 years DFA's constant and steady partner.

Governor Tetangco with the Monetary Board was always there - to counsel, to guide and to implement.

This is why, Madam President, we take this opportunity once more to thank Governor Tetangco, the BSP and its officials without whose help and support passport modernization would not have happened at all.

Also with us in this journey are our other partners:

·         DOJ and Secretary Raul Gonzales;

• DOF and then Secretary Juanita Amatong and now Secretary Gary Teves;
• OSG and then Justice Benipayo and now Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera;
• DBM and Secretary Rolando Andaya;
• DTI and Undersecretary Elmer Hernandez;
• NEDA and Deputy Director General Rolando Tungpalan; and finally
• the Office of the President and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.

Above all, this feat would have not been possible without the President - your encouragement, your guidance and your full support.

Madam President, your vision for our country and your desire to enhance our people's life opportunities has been the DFA's guidepost in these successive projects to modernize our travel documents through the MRPs and now this ePassport project.

Madam President, we in the DFA realize how much you have accomplished during your presidency.

·         Stabilizing the economy to the praise of international rating agencies like Moody's, from an economy on the brink of bankruptcy in 2001 to the highest average GDP growth in 43 years in 2009;

• Sustaining a positive growth in the economy for 33 consecutive quarters, thus doubling the size of the economy from 2001 to 2009, with the lowest average inflation since 1966;
• Drastically reducing public debt to GDP ratio from 78% in 2000 to 55% in 2008 and foreign debt from 73% to 32%;
• Posting record-high Gross International Reserves of almost US$ 40 billion from US$ 15.7 billion in 2001, with the help of OFW remittances which also almost tripled from US$6 billion in 2001 to US$ 16.43 billion in 2008;
• Vigorously engaging international partners which caused net foreign direct investments to multiply 15 times during your presidency;
• Creating 8 million jobs from 2001 to 2008 or an average of one million every year and creating wealth notably in the BPO industry with earnings of 6 billion dollars and employment of 600,000;
• Compared to the past (vis-à-vis the previous 40 years), building more and better infrastructure for development such as airports and seaports of international standard, the ROROs and the expanding ribbon of road and bridge networks from north to south, east to west;
• Doubling tourism in the last 4 years, making it a 5 billion dollar industry;
• Tripling investment in technical and skills training;
• Setting in motion the 50% reduction in prices of 16 drugs and decisively imposing maximum retail prices for five others as well as providing 86% of the Filipino population with health insurance;
• After 63 long years, obtaining finally for Filipino veterans payments by the United States under the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund; and
• Pursuing peace with NPA and MILF.

Let me add to this impressive list of achievements one more.

Providing world-class MRPs and ePassport to Filipinos, particularly to our contract workers overseas, I believe must rank as one of your great deeds.

The ePassport, Madam President, is your legacy - your tribute - to the global Filipino as they keep our economy on an even keel in the midst of the global downturn.

As your constant and loyal arm, we in the DFA will go to the limit to serve our people.  You can count on us to continue to be in the frontlines fulfilling our mandate to help and protect Filipinos here and abroad.

"There is no greater calling than to serve your fellowmen...There is no greater satisfaction than to have it done well," Walter Reuther said.

For all these years, Madam President, you have truly served your fellowmen and done it quite well.