MANILA, Aug. 14 (PNA) – Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Albert del Rosario clarified on Friday that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is not responsible for the current delays on passport processing.
The DFA, at a press briefing on Thursday, admitted that there is a current backlog of more than 42,000 passports due to technical glitches caused by outdated production machines.
In a separate statement on Friday, Del Rosario said the unexpected delays “are attributed to technical difficulties in view of the preparations for the transfer of the facilities from the current BSP site to its new location in Batangas.”
Under the current setup, the BSP prints all the passports.
“These delays should be corrected within one month,” Del Rosario assured.
“The BSP has been a valued partner of the DFA and its delivery of service has been more than acceptable and in accordance with expectations,” Del Rosario said in reaction to some “inaccurate reports” in the media blaming the BSP for the backlog.
“We regret that the DFA’s statement may have cast an unfair misimpression on the quality delivery of service and the full cooperation extended by the BSP,” he added. (PNA)