MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday signed two laws extending the validity of passports and driver’s licenses.
Republic Act 10928 extends the validity of passports from the current five to 10 years. For passport holders below 18 years old, however, the validity remains only for five years.
Former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo welcomed news on the signing into law of the extension of passport validity to 10 years.
“Extending the passport validity from 5 to 10 years has been one of the first bills (House Bill No. 487) I filed at the start of the present Congress because I have always believed that the 5-year validity is too short considering the tedious process and the cost required to renew a passport. With this new law, I am hopeful that Filipinos’ unimpaired exercise of their constitutional right to travel will be enhanced,” Arroyo said in a statement.
Republic Act 10930 extends the validity of driver’s license from the current three to five years, for first-time license applicants.
When renewing licenses, applicants can get up to 10 years’ validity provided they have had no record of violations for the previous five years.
