Last July, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. launched the Department of Foreign Affairs Temporary Off-Site Passport Services (DFA-TOPS) in six different locations to make passport registrations and renewals easier and more convenient for everyone. Yesterday, the DFA was able to open up the first regional off-site passport services in Southern Luzon.

You heard that right, southerners may now visit the DFA-TOPS located at the 3rd floor of the Robinsons Galleria South in San Pedro Laguna.

“We are very happy and honored that we have another opportunity to partner with the Department of Foreign Affairs.  This is the third Robinsons Malls where DFA TOPS is now open,” says Irving Wu, Robinsons Malls External Affairs and Operations Support Director. The two other branches of Robinsons Malls with DFA-TOPS are Robinsons Magnolia in Quezon City and Robinsons Place in Las Piñas.

This comes as no surprise as the Foreign Affairs Secretary did promise to set up in more locations for more accessibility to everyone. “As the clamor for more slots heightened, we listened and acted, and today we offered a solution… If this is not enough, tell us and we will listen and act as only the DFA can,” Secretary Locsin said during the launch of the first few branches.

The launch of the DOTR-TOPS was able to give people additional slots of over 177,000 during its first 3 months of operations.

The DFA-TOPS accepts all types of passport applications and is open from Mondays to Fridays. Interested applicants may book their slots at the official passport online appointment system at www.passport.gov.ph.