DSWD travel clearance form for minors deficient

Last Dec. 16, I returned to the National Capital Region office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the third time to finalize my sibling’s travel clearance for a four-year scholarship abroad. To my dismay, the clearance given was for one year only, instead of the maximum two years.

When I requested to have this changed, the government official on duty told me that the change required parental consent, and that I failed to mention to the social worker that I wanted a two-year clearance. Yet on two previous occasions, I had made it clear that a two-year clearance was necessary.

The oversight was not even the fault of the parent or guardian. On the contrary, nowhere on the DSWD travel form is there a question on the length of the effectivity of the clearance, only of the travel. It is hoped that the DSWD can correct this oversight before 2014 ends, and spare parents and guardians the hassle of returning multiple times for a one-hour process.

—JOSHUA YOUNG,
childhelp.phil@gmail.com