KAKAMMPI News

Shay Cullen 22 October 2021 The recent decision of the Department of Education (DepEd) to dismiss for Grave Misconduct from the teaching profession Franco N. Aranas, a teacher in New Cabalan High School, Olongapo City should have been a swift decision to protect children and see justice done. However, it has taken almost three years before the decision was made to dismiss the abusive teacher who sexually abused his students. Yet this teacher, Franco N. Aranas, while found guilty for Grave Misconduct by the DepEd's Regional Director, May B. Eclar, can continue teaching in the same school until the dismissal from service is confirmed by Secretary Leonor Briones of the DepEd. We earnestly hope that Secretary Briones acts speedily to confirm the decision of the Regional Director to protect children and see justice is done. The DepEd must not harbor a child abuser among its ranks. What is wrong with the system where it is clear justice delayed is justice denied, a system that favors ...

Agence France-Presse BANGKOK - Thailand's once-lucrative tourism sector is a shadow of its former self after months of coronavirus travel restrictions. But on Monday, the kingdom reopens its doors to vaccinated travelers from more than 40 countries. Here's what you need to know: TOURISM, YEAR ZERO Before the pandemic struck, Thailand attracted a record high of almost 40 million visitors in 2019, with tourists flocking to its island beaches and cultural hotspots. Travelers fell to around seven million in 2020 after virus restrictions seized up global travel, while only around 73,000 international visitors have so far flown into Thailand in 2021. The country saw some of the largest losses in the world in the tourism industry, with revenues dropping from $63.75 billion in 2019 to $11 billion in 2020. The cashcow industry directly and indirectly contributes 18 percent of the country's economy, which contracted in 2020 by 6.1 percent -- its worst performance in more than...

A Filipina domestic helper was maltreated and mauled by her employer over a missing mixer part in Saudi Arabia, according to Jun Veneracion’s “24 Oras” report on Tuesday. Aibelle Poniente's female employer hit her with a figurine, kicked and dragged her when she found out that a part of the mixer to be used for baking was missing on October 23. "Nung binubugbog ako ni madam, nakikiusap ako na hindi ako makahinga pero patuloy pa rin siya na sinisipa ako," she said. With the help of fellow overseas Filipino workers, Poniente was able to escape and reported the incident to the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah. Poniente will pursue her complaint against her employer, even as the latter's husband tried to settle the matter. Filtered By: Pinoyabroad PINOY ABROAD Filipina domestic helper in Saudi Arabia mauled by employer over missing mixer part Published October 26, 2021 9:36pm A Filipina domestic helper was maltreated and mauled by her employer over a missing mixer p...

Saudi Arabia's Labor Minister is seeking to meet Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to address the plight of over 9,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have yet to receive their salaries and benefits from their employers. According to Jun Veneracion's "24 Oras" report on Tuesday, Bello and other labor officials are in Dubai where they will also have a meeting with the Saudi Arabia Labor Minister. If there will be no clear solution to help the affected OFWs, Bello will recommend that President Rodrigo Duterte impose an OFW deployment ban on Saudi Arabia. The DOLE previously put a temporary suspension on OFW deployment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after foreign recruitment agencies there refused to shoulder the cost for COVID-19 safety protocol and insurance coverage. But this was lifted in May after the Saudi government confirmed that foreign employers and agencies will pay for institutional quarantines and other COVID-19 protocols upon arrival i...

Some 400 attendees from all over Alberta, Canada, braved the inclement weather to witness the historic unveiling of the first monument of Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal there over the weekend. The monument’s main feature is a three-foot bust of Dr. Rizal made by renowned Filipino sculptor Toym Imao in Manila, according to a news release from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). The bust is placed on top of a seven-foot pedestal covered in granite and located in a 36 x 38 feet spot in Nose Creek Regional Park, where most Filipino community gatherings occur. It was made possible through a partnership between the Philippine Consulate General (PCG), the Airdrie City Council, the Filipino Airdrie Association (FAA), and the seven-man Rizal Monument Project Team (RMPT). According to Calgary Consul General Zaldy Patron, the statue was launched to honor the Philippine heritage and culture of the hard-working Filipinos in Alberta. The unveiling ceremony was led by Patron, Alber...

PANDALAM, India: Stuck in a village in southern India for nine months and unable to return to his job in Saudi Arabia, Sugathan P.R. is hoping the World Health Organization will approve the Indian COVID-19 shot Covaxin, paving the way for his trip back. Like Sugathan, millions of Indians have taken Covaxin and many have complained of travel struggles as the vaccine has not been recognised for international travel by several countries. "I cannot continue to remain idle here any further," said 57-year-old Sugathan, who returned to Pandalam village in Kerala in January to be with his family after missing his father's funeral last year when the pandemic disrupted flights. "I had the option of going to Saudi and taking (additional doses of) Covishield after a four-day institutional quarantine, but I was not sure of its implications on my health," said Sugathan, referring to AstraZeneca's vaccine. "If the Covaxin approval does not come, I will take the...

I We are deeply concerned about the Philippine Overseas Labor Office ( POLO ) announcement of suspension of admission to a safe space for distressed women migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. (See attached Advisory no.20-21 by POLO-Jeddah.) Women migrants working in Saudi Arabia face a challenging context with a well documented risk of human and labour rights violations, including in some cases physical and sexual violence. The women’s shelter ( Bahay-Kalinga ) has provided an essential place for women who escape abusive workplaces to seek direct assistance from the Philippine Government. The context of Saudi Arabia poses unique challenges for a distressed female worker to seek safety. The legal restrictions imposed on movement by the Kafala Sponsorship System, means a worker escaping a workplace could be charged with “absconding”. Additionally the country restricts women’s rights under the male Guardianship System and has dehumanising xenophobic negative stereotypes of migrant ...

Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News Posted at Oct 15 2021 04:50 PM MANILA - The implementation of the new alert level system and granular lockdowns has done much to improve the health care utilization rate of Metro Manila, the One Hospital Command said Friday. Dr. Marylaine Padlan of the OHCC said the command continues to receive 200 to 300 calls for hospital referrals daily, with most of the requests coming from the National Capital Region. However, this is a significant decrease from when Metro Manila experienced a surge in COVID-19 cases back in August, when calls to the OHCC climbed to about 500 per day. “In terms of implementation here in NCR, he helped, because our cases are already under control on the ground. We have seen our daily cases decrease. So, those who require isolation facilities or hospitalization are more reluctant, ”Padlan said during the Laging Handa briefing. (In terms of implementation here in NCR (National Capital Region), it helped control our cases on the groun...

MANILA - The implementation of the new alert level system and granular lockdowns has done much to improve the health care utilization rate of Metro Manila, the One Hospital Command said Friday. Dr. Marylaine Padlan of the OHCC said the command continues to receive 200 to 300 calls for hospital referrals daily, with most of the requests coming from the National Capital Region. However, this is a significant decrease from when Metro Manila experienced a surge in COVID-19 cases back in August, when calls to the OHCC climbed to about 500 per day. “In terms po sa implementation dito sa NCR, nakatulong po siya, dahil na-control iyong mga cases natin sa ground na po. Nakita naman po natin bumababa iyong daily cases natin. So, mas kumonti iyong nagre-require ng isolation facilities o ng hospitalization,” Padlan said during the Laging Handa briefing. (In terms of implementation here in NCR (National Capital Region), it helped control our cases on the ground. We saw that daily cases decreas...

Victoria Klesty, Reuters Posted at Oct 14 2021 09:59 PM KONGSBERG, Norway - Police had concerns about signs of radicalization in the Danish convert to Islam who is suspected of killing five people with a bow-and-arrow and other weapons in a Norwegian town, a senior officer said on Thursday. Flags flew at half mast across Kongsberg where the victims, four women and one man aged between 50 and 70, were killed. Two people, including an off-duty police officer, were wounded in the attack on Wednesday evening. Kongsberg resident Markus Kultima, 23, who works in a beer shop and lives above the store, witnessed parts of the attack. "I saw a man come walking with an arrow in his back," Kultima told Reuters. He said it was the off-duty officer who told him to head home. "I had to walk in the direction where that guy came from. That was very heavy," Kultima said. The 37-year-old suspect was in custody and was believed to have acted alone, police said. His lawyer said h...

Reuters Posted at Oct 14 2021 10:17 PM Europe's drug regulator said on Thursday it had started a real-time review of AstraZeneca's antibody-based COVID-19 therapy, the first protective shot other than vaccines against coronavirus. The decision by the human medicines committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to begin the rolling review was based on early results from clinical studies, the regulator said. It did not say when a conclusion was expected. The move to start a real-time review, so called because data is evaluated as it is made available, came roughly a week after the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker sought emergency approval from US authorities. While vaccines rely on an intact immune system to develop targeted antibodies and infection-fighting cells, AstraZeneca's biotech compound, to be branded as Evusheld, contains lab-made antibodies designed to linger in the body for months to contain the virus in case of an infection. The medicine has been proven to work ...

Agence France-Presse Posted at Oct 14 2021 08:13 AM | Updated as of Oct 14 2021 10:39 AM THE HAGUE, Netherlands - The Netherlands was the world's first country to legalize gay marriage in 2001, and now it is finally extending that right to the royal family. Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said that the heir to the throne can marry a person of the same sex and not give up their right to the succession. Lawmakers asked Rutte to rule on the situation after a book by a constitutional lawyer about Crown Princess Amalia, 17, said she would in theory be excluded from the succession were she to marry another woman. "The cabinet believes that the heir can also marry a person of the same sex and sees no obstacle to a law permitting a marriage of an heir to a person of the same sex," Rutte said in a letter to parliament on Tuesday. "The cabinet therefore does not see that an heir apparent or the monarch should renounce the throne when he/she would like to marry a same-sex p...

Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON - The US Navy said Thursday that personnel who refuse to be vaccinated against Covid-19 will be expelled from the force, ahead of the November 28 deadline for the injection. "With Covid-19 vaccines now mandatory for all military members, the Navy has announced plans to start processing for discharge those who refuse vaccination without a pending or approved exemption," it said in a statement. It was the first clear indication by the Pentagon of what would happen to service members who reject the vaccines, which became mandatory at the end of August. Until now military officials had avoided answering what would happen to those who refuse to be vaccinated. The navy said that 98 percent of its 350,000 active duty members had begun or completed the vaccination process. For the US military overall, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday that 96.7 percent of the nearly 1.4 million active duty personnel had received at least one dose, and 83...

Agence France-Presse BALI —Bali reopened to international flights from select countries on Thursday, including China, Japan, and France, as the pandemic-struck Indonesian holiday island took a step toward welcoming back tourists. But authorities in Bali, which lost its primary source of income as tourism dried up, said there were no international flights expected on Thursday. Foreign visitors must be vaccinated, quarantine in a hotel for 5 days and follow strict visa requirements under new entry rules for travelers. "We're ready and waiting for international flights," said airport spokesman Taufan Yudhistira. "But so far there's nothing scheduled today." Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport was open to travelers from 19 countries including South Korea, China, Japan, France, the United Arab Emirates, Dubai and New Zealand, authorities said. The partial reopening, however, does not include Australians -- a key source of the millions of tourists wh...

By JOVILAND RITA, GMA News Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has asked President Rodrigo Duterte to impose a deployment ban to Saudi Arabia if the wages owed by the employers to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) remain unsettled. At the Laging Handa briefing on Thursday, Bello said the unpaid salaries of more than 9,000 OFWs had reached P4.6 billion. “I sent a memorandum to the President requesting him permission to consider the deployment ban to KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) kung hindi nila mabayaran yung pera (if they cannot pay the amount),” he said. Bello also said that he instructed the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to study the matter. In 2016, around 11,000 OFWs in Saudi Arabia were not paid their salaries for one to two years, he recalled. Bello said that Duterte authorized him to repatriate the OFWs. “Before doing that, we authorized a lawyer to pursue the claims of our OFWs,” he said. “Th...

An Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), who was allegedly maltreated and was not given proper compensation by her boss in Kuwait, was also duped by compatriots on her way home. Maribel Cantillo, an OFW from Aurora Province, while speaking with fellow OFWs at a stop over in Dubai fainted due to hunger and fatigue. GMA News' Maki Pulido reported on "State of the Nation" on Wednesday that Cantillo was not given food to eat by her employers two days before being taken to the airport. “Hindi naman po ako makakuha ng pagkain kasi bakit daw ako kakain? Eh hindi naman daw ako nagtatrabaho,” Cantillo said. (I can't get food because why should I eat? I'm not even working, her employers said.) In her two years as a domestic helper, Maribel said that she was not able to take even a day off from work. As Maribel endured the maltreatment of her employers, she also did not receive her full salary for two months, which was supposedly 260 Kuwait Dinars or more than P43,000. She...

The Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. warned the public against bogus raffle promotions purportedly sponsored by the embassy and its ambassador. “The Philippine Embassy informs the public that there is no prize selection or program related to a cash giveaway, especially as part of an international COVID-19 relief,” the embassy said in a statement. The embassy said it received reports of entities illegally representing the Philippine Embassy and its ambassador to the United States through Instagram and other social media platforms. It bared that the fraud scheme informs potential victims, saying, “Your Instagram account was one of the lucky 30 randomly selected winners of the ongoing international giveaway by Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez as part of the COVID-19 relief fund.” The embassy also reminded the public to verify and dismiss false messages or offers that might be received through the social media. The public advised to contact the Philippine Embassy’s off...

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said Sunday that the shortening of quarantine period for inbound OFWs is a welcome development as it would cut on expenses. In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, Cacdac pointed out a number of advantages with the shortening of the isolation period. He said that many OFWs are already fully vaccinated, and who want to be reunited with their families. Also, the policy would slash on OWWA expenses for OFWs' stay in facilities. "Maraming mga OFW ay fully vaccinated na ... gusto na rin nilang makapiling ang kanilang pamilya, at syempre yung gastos sa isolation facilities," he said. He noted that at present there are 9,859 OFWs in hotel isolation facilities in the National Capital Region and neighboring provinces, and about 12,000 to 13,000 nationwide. Earlier the government allowed fully-vaccinated travelers from countries on the "green" or ''yellow" lists to undergo facility-base...

Published October 15, 2021 12:40am Overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong flocked to the Philippine consulate on the last day of the absentee voter registration for the 2022 elections. According to a report on "Saksi" on Thursday, the lines were almost unending. Some OFWs went home without registering after failing to make it in the number of individuals who can only be accommodated per day. GMA News already reached out to the Commission on Elections regarding the matter but it has yet to respond as of posting time. So far, almost 1.5 million absentee voters have registered for the May 2022 polls.—Ma. Angelica Garcia/LDF, GMA News

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates- The first world fair to be held in the Middle East, Expo 2020 Dubai, opened on Thursday with a lavish ceremony of fireworks, music and messaging about the power of global collaboration for a more sustainable future. Stars headlining the opening ceremony, which was projected in public spaces around the UAE, included Italian tenor singer Andrea Bocelli, British singer Ellie Goulding, Chinese pianist Lang Lang and Saudi singer Mohammed Abdu. Dubai, the region's tourism, trade and business hub, is hoping to boost its economy by attracting 25 million business and tourist visits to the world fair which has been built from scratch on 4.3 sq km (1.7 sq mile) of desert. Many countries and companies are also looking to the expo - the first major global event open to visitors since the coronavirus pandemic - to boost trade and investment. The full expo site will open its doors to exhibitors from almost 200 countries on Friday after being delayed for a year by ...

By MICHAELA DEL CALLAR Concerns have been raised about the structural stability of the headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City, with some diplomats fearing the possible “collapse” of the 14-story building which is home to hundreds of employees and has been visited by some of the world’s top diplomats. Diplomatic sources and internal documents obtained by GMA News Online outlined the safety issues surrounding the 49-year-old edifice, which was constructed in 1972 and was first used by the Asian Development Bank. The DFA took over the building in 1991, when the ADB moved to its new and more elegant headquarters in Ortigas in Pasig City. In a Senate budget hearing Thursday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin briefly disclosed the safety issue and the dilemma his department faces in addressing it because of financial and other constraints. He did not provide other details. “We have foregone renovation of our ancient and crumbling headquarters but it has n...

By MICHAELA DEL CALLAR Concerns have been raised about the structural stability of the headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City, with some diplomats fearing the possible “collapse” of the 14-story building which is home to hundreds of employees and has been visited by some of the world’s top diplomats. Diplomatic sources and internal documents obtained by GMA News Online outlined the safety issues surrounding the 49-year-old edifice, which was constructed in 1972 and was first used by the Asian Development Bank. The DFA took over the building in 1991, when the ADB moved to its new and more elegant headquarters in Ortigas in Pasig City. In a Senate budget hearing Thursday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin briefly disclosed the safety issue and the dilemma his department faces in addressing it because of financial and other constraints. He did not provide other details. “We have foregone renovation of our ancient and crumbling headquarters but it has n...

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Tuesday that six of its temporary offsite passport services will continue operations until December 2021 to address the increasing demand for passport appointment slots. The six offsite passport services are located in SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, SM North EDSA in Quezon City, SM Aura in Taguig, Robinsons Place Las Piñas, Robinsons Place Magnolia in Quezon City, and Ayala Glorietta 3 in Makati. The DFA has also started rolling out regional temporary offsite passport services facilities across the country. Earlier, the DFA opened its first temporary offsite passport service facility in Olongapo City last Sept. 1, while it also opened a service facility in San Pedro, Laguna on Monday, Oct. 4. “The department is also working to open more TOPS sites in other regions of the Philippines to serve more Filipinos living outside Metro Manila who are in need of a passport,” the DFA said in a statement. “The department requests the public...

By JOVILAND RITA, GMA News The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) rejected around 24,000 passport applications due to incorrect information of name and birth date of applicants, GMA News’ Unang Balita reported on Thursday. “Isa na diyan yung nagkamali sa online appointment sa kanilang pangalan at kanilang birth date [One of them is errors regarding names and birth dates of applicants],” DFA Undersecretary Brigido Dulay said in an interview. Dulay, however, said only four out of 100 applicants are having issues with their passport applications over various reasons. Many overseas Filipino workers who are set to be hired abroad have been complaining of delayed passport delivery. Dulay said OFWs seeking assistance for their concerns can use the courtesy lane in the department’s office or set an appointment through the online system on DFA’s website. They can also write to oca.cl@dfa.gov.ph to provide their details and explain the urgency of their concern. Dulay said applicants can ...

Shay Cullen The Philippine Senate has finally approved the final draft of the Philippine Senate Bill (SB) 2332 or An Act Increasing the Age for Determining Statutory Rape and other Acts of Sexual Abuse and Exploitation to Protect Children. This law is historic and vital to the protection of children and the prosecution of the child rapists that are abusing children every day with impunity. It has repealed the penal code that said it was legal to have sex with a 12-year-old and older. Now it is a criminal act of statutory rape to have sex with a 16-year-old child or younger. A convicted offender faces a possible sentence of life in prison on the credible testimony of the child victim. This law is a powerful deterrent and provides greater protection for vulnerable children. Child rights advocates have been campaigning for this change for decades, Preda Foundation among them, and finally a day of victory for children. There are many child protection laws in the Philippines and w...

Agence France-Presse Posted at Oct 04 2021 09:19 PM Some 200 men armed with rods and sticks stormed a church in northern India during Sunday prayer service, police said, in the latest anti-Christian violence in the officially secular country. At least five people were injured in the attack allegedly carried out by members of hardline Hindu vigilante groups in Uttarakhand state, according to a complaint by the church authorities. The frenzied mob destroyed furniture, photographs and musical instruments while shouting slogans hailing the Hindu God Ram, they said. "We have been conducting raids since last night to nab the leader of the mob. Investigation is on to identify the remaining 150-200 people involved in the incident," local police official Vivek Kumar told AFP. Priyo Sadhna Porter, pastor of the church in Roorkee city, said she could identify most of the attackers as they belonged to Bajrang Dal, a Hindu vigilante group, and other similar outfits. "We demand...

Manas Mishra, Reuters The effectiveness of the Pfizer Inc /BioNTech SE vaccine in preventing infection by the coronavirus dropped to 47% from 88% six months after the second dose, according to data published on Monday that US health agencies considered when deciding on the need for booster shots. The data, which was published in the Lancet published medical journal, had been previously released in August ahead of peer review. The analysis showed that the vaccine's effectiveness in preventing hospitalization and death remained high at 90% for at least six months, even against the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus. The data suggests that the drop is due to waning efficacy, rather than more contagious variants, researchers said. Researchers from Pfizer and Kaiser Permanente studied electronic health records of roughly 3.4 million people who were members of Kaiser Permanente Southern California between December 2020 - when the vaccine first became available - and...

Reuters Posted at Oct 05 2021 11:07 AM Singapore's parliament has approved a law that gives broad powers to the government to deal with foreign interference that has sparked concern from the opposition and experts about its wide scope and limits on judicial review. The small and open city-state, which says it is vulnerable to foreign meddling, targeted fake news with a far-reaching law in 2019, and joins nations such as Australia and Russia that have passed laws in recent years to deter foreign interference. The bill, formally known as the Foreign Interference Countermeasures Act (FICA), was passed late on Monday with 75 members voting in favour, 11 opposition members objecting and two abstaining, local media reported. Among the measures, FICA allows authorities to compel internet, social media service providers and website operators to provide user information, block content and remove applications. Those deemed or designated as "politically significant persons" un...

Mass exodus from Ho Chi Minh City fuels labor shortage worries HANOI - Tens of thousands of people, mostly migrant workers, left Ho Chi Minh City over the weekend as the largest metropolis in Vietnam eased a months-long COVID-19 lockdown, triggering fears of labor shortages and more disruption to manufacturing. The mass exodus comes as the city and its nearby industrial provinces struggle to ensure sufficient workers to help revive the country's economy, which posted a record GDP slump in the third quarter due to COVID-19 curbs. "We left our home behind for the city in search for better jobs but now we are tired," said Tran Thi Them, 32, as she queued for a compulsory COVID-19 test before leaving. "We are going home to farm and raise cattle," she said, as she headed to her village in Dong Thap province in the Mekong River Delta with her husband and their 8-month-old baby. Them lost her job at a garment factory in July, when the city began imposing curbs, and...

Several overseas Filipino workers are complaining of the delayed release of passports, saying it has affected their work opportunities. In Maki Pulido's report on "24 Oras" on Monday, some OFWs trooped to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Parañaque to claim their passports, which have been delayed for months. "Sinasabi nila na ang OFW ay bayani ng Pilipinas eh kung pahirapan nila kami. Every week bumabalik ako dito para lang dito sa passport na 'to dahil 'yong mga binibigay po nilang mga website, number, hindi naman po natatawagan," Ma. Lenny Garcia said. 'They say the OFWs are the Philippines' heroes, but they keep making it hard for us. Every week I come back here just for the passpost because we can't reach them through the website and the phone numbers they gave us.] The OFWs have paid P950 to P1200 for the courier fee but they have yet to receive a notice from the DFA regarding the claiming of their passports. An OFW said it has...

By MICHAELA DEL CALLAR Published October 5, 2021 12:11pm The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said it hopes to address the current backlog in passport applications by October 31 with the opening of more online application slots and offsite processing centers across the country. DFA Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Senen Mangalile said the department is also addressing concerns on the delay in the delivery of thousands of passports. “We will do whatever is needed to make a significant reduction in the backlog,” he said. “October 31 is our self-imposed deadline.” From July 8 to October 2, Mangalile said the DFA successfully processed 648,151 passports but 48,261 were either suspended or being validated. The DFA told lawmakers during budget deliberations in August that there is an estimated 3 to 4 million backlog in passport renewals as most of its staff were infected with COVID-19. Since the DFA opened temporary offsite passport services in malls to address ...