THE DEPARTMENT of Foreign Affairs has assured the public that it is working to resolve issues that continue to hound the passport appointment booking system, particularly the non-receipt of confirmation emails. 

In an advisory issued on Tuesday, the department’s Office of Consular Affairs said the delay in confirmation emails is likely caused by the overloading of servers and late remittance of over-the-counter payments.  

For applications scheduled from the week of Nov. 21, confirmation emails may take at least two days due to congestion in the system, the office said, while all application packets of those with appointments this week were supposedly sent Monday.  

The advisory listed steps that applicants can take to follow up on their booking.   

Meanwhile, the department announced the opening on Monday of three new off-site passport service offices, located at Robinsons Novaliches, Robinsons Lipa, and SM Manila.  

These Temporary Off-Site Passport Service (TOPS) offices cater to renewals as well as complicated transactions such as new or lost passport applications that require changes in personal details.  

Assistant Secretary T. Mangalile, who led the launch, said these additional sites are “in keeping with the instructions of Secretary Teodoro “Teddy Boy” L. Locsin, Jr. to increase the number of appointment slots available to the public.” — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan 

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