The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is targeting an indicative launch date of June 2028 for a next-generation Philippine passport, agency officials told the House of Representatives appropriations committee during a hearing on the department’s proposed 2027 budget.
The DFA is requesting a total budget of ₱35.173 billion for 2027. According to a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, ₱5.8 billion of that amount is earmarked for the next-generation passport program. GMA News reported a separate figure of ₱2.8 billion allotted in 2027 specifically for issuing the new passport, funded under the agency’s Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses, which the outlet said accounts for 54 percent of the DFA’s proposed 2027 budget.
The redesigned booklet is intended to bring the Philippine passport into full compliance with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Planned features include additional pages to support a full 10-year validity period, enhanced security features, and updated contactless chip technology.
DFA Assistant Secretary for Policy Planning and Coordination Robespierre Bolivar, quoted by the Inquirer, said: “We are hoping to redesign the passport booklet to make it fully compliant with ICAO and with enhanced security features, additional pages for a full 10-year validity and the latest contactless chip technology.”
A separate account from GMA News attributed a nearly identical statement to DFA Assistant Secretary Emil Fernandez, who said: “Indicative launch is 2028 but over the next year, we would need to phase in the requirements needed for the rollout for the next-generation passport.”
The rollout would affect the primary travel document for a large and steadily growing pool of Filipino applicants. The DFA told lawmakers it issued around 1.57 million passports as of the end of August 2026, according to the Inquirer’s report, a figure GMA News placed at 1.578 million as of July 31.
Bolivar also told the committee that the DFA had conducted at least 35 rounds of its “Passport on Wheels” mobile application program during the same period, alongside 67,697 visas and electronic visas, 413,597 apostille certificates, and 36,354 civil registry reports processed across the agency’s 42 consular offices nationwide.
No public timeline has been given yet for a phased rollout schedule, application requirements, or fees for the next-generation passport ahead of the targeted 2028 launch. The DFA indicated that implementation requirements would be phased in over the coming year as part of preparations for the new document.
