It is now seen on all ePassports that have been issued starting last March 1.
Last March 9, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officially announced the implementation of the two-letter document type code for regular Philippine ePassports.
The two-letter code, “PP”, will appear on both the Visual Inspection Zone (VIZ) and the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) of all regular Philippine ePassports, as per the department.
“This change is in line with the Philippines’ commitment to upholding international standards on travel document security and global interoperability pursuant to Doc 9303 of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),” explained the DFA.
They also disclosed that through the document, Contracting States that act as signatories have agreed to adopt a harmonized secondary document type indicators in all their passport issuances.
The adoption of the “PP” code is also seen to further strengthen the integrity and consistency of Philippine passports by “ensuring their continued recognition and acceptance worldwide.“
Meanwhile, despite the changes, all the regular Philippine ePassports issued with single-letter code “P” prior to 01 March 2026 will remain valid for the duration of their validity period, as per the DFA.
“The implementation of the PP code does not affect any travel procedures and requirements,” it closed its statement.
According to the Henley Global Passport Index that was released back in January, the Philippine passport ranks 73rd in the list of the most powerful in the world, one rank lower than the 72nd place finish it got in July 2025. It can be used to access 64 countries without the need for visa.