This is the 100th post in my blog, what more but to celebrate it by posting another milestone - finally the Department of Foreign Affairs issues a Maroon-colored Machine Readable Passport - the one that boasts tamper-proof security features. According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer -"The issuance of the machine-readable passports (MRP), a booklet that uses biometrics on the laminated data page and embedded security images visible only by ultraviolet light, is an interim measure that the DFA has adopted in the face of delays in the implementation of its electronic passport project.
Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Domingo Lucenario Jr. said the consular office hoped to issue by the second quarter of 2008 the more advanced chip-imbedded passports, the current gold standard in travel documents."
One of the first recipients of the new passports is a 102-year old woman from Ilocos, Simeona Adamos. Currently, Philippine passports needed to be manually encoded by immigration authorities at international ports of entries.Apparently also, I just learned that I am eligible for the other Philippine passport - the diplomatic/government passport which is colored red - which needed to be revalidated for every travel (official travel). Getting a visa everywhere would be a breeze, as well as having to line up in the diplomatic lane as well as minimal check by the customs guys. Hmmm...what to do..what to do.. hehehe..
The green passports (non-diplomatic/non-government) will still be honored until they expire, however, I plan to wait for the second quarter of next year to get the one with the embedded chip and alternatively, I would be probably getting the diplomatic passport this year as well... hmmm... :D
The DFA started issuing the new passport with the help of the French-based Hologram Industries, which donated computers, printers and the software. Finally, the Philippines is now out of the only 3 percent of countries that doesnt have machine readable passports.
Hooray! (damn, i need to get another photo taken again???!!! Just when my new passport photo looked really nice...:D)
Here are the countries that has visa-free travel for Pinoys:
Visa-free travel
Africa
Burkina Faso Visa on Arrival (3 months for 10,000 CFA franc, 2 photos required)
Burundi Visa on Arrival
Comoros Visa on Arrival
Djibouti Visa on Arrival (10 days for 3,000 Djiboutian franc, 1 month for 5,000 Djiboutian franc)
Egypt Egypt Visa on Arrival (14 days, visiting South Sinai only)
Kenya Visa on Arrival (3 months for $50)
Madagascar Visa on Arrival (90 days for 28,000 Malagasy ariary)
Morocco 3 months
Mozambique Visa on Arrival ($25)
Seychelles 1 month
Tanzania Visa on Arrival ($50)
Togo Visa on Arrival (7 days)
Uganda Visa on Arrival ($30)
Zambia Visa on Arrival ($25)
Asia
ASEAN
Brunei 14 days
Cambodia 21 days
Indonesia 30 days
Laos 30 days
Malaysia 1 month
Myanmar 30 days (diplomatic and official passports only), Visa on Arrival (28 days; regular passport holders)
Singapore 30 days
Thailand 30 days
Vietnam 30 days
Non-ASEAN
Armenia Visa on Arrival (21 days for $30)
Azerbaijan Visa on Arrival (30 days for $40)
Bahrain Visa on Arrival (business purposes only)
Bangladesh Visa on Arrival
East Timor Visa on Arrival (30 days for $30)
Georgia Visa on Arrival
Hong Kong 14 days (unless holder of Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card)
Iran Visa on Arrival (7 days for $50)
Israel 3 months
Macau 30 days
Maldives Visa on Arrival (30 days)
Mongolia 21 days
Nepal Visa on Arrival (60 days for $30, 150 days for $80)
South Korea 30 days (visiting Jeju Island only)
Sri Lanka Visa on Arrival (30 days)
Syria Visa on Arrival (females are not applicable)
Australia and Oceania
Cook Islands 31 days
Fiji 4 months
Marshall Islands Visa on Arrival (30 days)
Federated States of Micronesia 30 days
Niue 30 days
Palau Visa on Arrival (30 days)
Samoa 30 days
Tuvalu Visa on Arrival (1 month)
Vanuatu 30 days
North America
Bermuda 6 months
Costa Rica 30 days
Dominica 21 days
Haiti 3 months
Saint Kitts and Nevis 14 days
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1 month
Turks and Caicos Islands 30 days
South America
Bolivia 59 days
Brazil 90 days
Colombia 90 days
Ecuador 90 days
Peru 90 days
Suriname 120 days
I Got my Red Passport (Official Passport) a few months ago, and thats what I used for my travel to Korea. Will post a photo of that soon!
