Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 23) — Heads up, travelers: the Foreign Affairs department opened 100,000 passport appointment slots for February to May since 1 p.m.

Dfa Passport Appointment Slots

LOOK: Heads up, travelers. Passport appointment slots are now open. https://t.co/hnni6jaWwopic.twitter.com/MjZQWPNpMc

— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) January 23, 2018

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano added more appointment slots will be opened in the coming days.

DFA opens online appointments slots starting today posted May 01, 2018 at 11:20 pm by Sara Susanne D. Fabunan Beginning today, Wednesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs will open passport online appointment slots from July to September 2018 at the consular Offices in the Philippines. The DFA has tapped the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the alleged existence of syndicates preying on passport applicants by selling appointment slots for as high as P10,000.

The Foreign Affairs Department (DFA) has been implementing reforms regarding passport applications recently, which included a 'Passport on Wheels' program.

READ: Roque: DFA improving passport application system

Filipinos lamented the difficulty of securing a schedule in the department's online passport appointment system.

In early January, enraged netizens called on the DFA to fix its system after their website showed the schedule to get a passport was full until March.

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Some alleged that 'syndicates' who hoard passport appointment schedules to sell at sky-high prices are behind the DFA fiasco.

READ: DFA denies syndicate, opens more passport appointment slots

Cayetano said they are looking into the possibility that alleged syndicates may be using 'bots,' or software apps doing automated tasks, to make the reservations.

The DFA has tapped the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the alleged existence of syndicates preying on passport applicants by selling appointment slots for as high as P10,000.

Cayetano said he will also ask the Philippine National Police to help in going after the syndicates.

'I'd just like to give a warning to any syndicate – real or imagined – mga sindikato na nagpaplano pa lang o yung mga nanloloko sa Facebook o yung mga actual na nagcha-charge ng 5, 10,000 for passports. We are going after you,' the Secretary said.

[Translation: I'd just like to give a warning to any syndicates – real or imagined – those syndicates who are planning or those pulling a fast one on Facebook or those actually charging 5,000, 10,000 for passports. We are going after you.]

CNN Philippines correspondent Xianne Arcangel contributed to this report.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 15) — The Department of Foreign Affairs has more good news: It is opening 10,000 more passport appointment slots daily.

DFA on Friday said it will open 10,000 online slots from Monday to Saturday, except holidays. 5,000 passport appointment slots will be opened at 12 p.m., then another 5,000 slots will be available at 9 p.m. Assistant Secretary Elmer Cato said it will be rolled out daily 'indefinitely.'

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Cayetano said there are more people applying for passports than what DFA is capable of accommodating, but that will soon change.

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'When I became secretary, we were doing 10,500 a day. We're now doing 19,000 a day. In a few months, when we open our 6 new offices — We've already opened two this year in Ilocos and Isabela — we'll be doing 30,000 a day,' he told CNN Philippines' The Source on Friday.

DFA surprised the public when it opened 100,000 slots for passport appointment on Thursday.

This is in line with DFA's earlier pronouncement that it would add new slots every day at different times to accommodate the volume of applicants.

The passport appointment system came under fire in January because the slots were fully booked until March.