Philippines launches travel permit system for minors travelling abroad

The Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has launched an automated travel permit system for minors travelling abroad (MTAs).

The new system was developed to expedite transactions, thus doing away with the intervention of middlemen when it comes to obtaining official government permits.

According to assistant secretary Ada Colico, head of the DSWD Protective Programmes Office, only parents or legal guardians of minors may use the system to apply for a child’s travel clearance. 

At a press forum held on Thursday, 13th March, Colico stated outright: “The only people authorised to create accounts for MTAs are their parents and legal guardians. Anyone else, such as fixers, will not be allowed to create accounts as the system requires the identity of a parent or a guardian through relevant documents such as their National ID.”

Why the system is necessary

The MTA travel permit system is part of the Philippine government’s preventive measures against child-trafficking.

Without a government-issued clearance, individuals under 18 years of age may not be allowed to travel outside the country.

Colico explained that the old system was time-consuming on the part of parents and guardians, prompting them to seek the services of travel agents or fixers to expedite the process.

Under the streamlined process of securing travel clearance, parents or guardians no longer need to visit a DSWD national or regional office in person, and may submit their applications directly online.

Applicants can receive their requested document between one to three working days upon their compliance to complete and verified documents.

This new online system is also a sustainable way to address red tape whilst ensuring that minors travelling outside the country have received the full consent of their parents or legal guardians.

Colico said: “We have simplified and streamlined the processing of applications, making it more client-centric to ensure the protection of children from the perils of abuse, trafficking and other forms of exploitation.”

The digitisation of the DSWD’s MTA travel permit system complies with the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) or Republic Act (RA) No. 11032, legislation that recognises technology as an essential tool in enhancing transparency and accountability in government transactions with minimal human intervention.