The Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has introduced a new automated travel permit system for minors traveling abroad (MTAs). This system aims to streamline the process and eliminate the need for middlemen in obtaining official government permits.
Assistant Secretary Ada Colico, head of the DSWD’s Protective Programmes Office, emphasized that only parents or legal guardians of minors are authorized to use the system to apply for a child’s travel clearance. During a press forum on March 13, Colico clarified, “The only people authorized to create accounts for MTAs are their parents or legal guardians. Fixers or other individuals will not be allowed to create accounts, as the system requires identity verification through relevant documents like a National ID.”
