Kablaaw, Ilocos! Here’s some exciting news for mallgoers in the north: the Department of Foreign Affairs Consular Office in Ilocos Norte is expanding its list of services with the launch of its Apostille Receiving Center (ARC) at Robinsons Ilocos.     

Now open to the public, this is the very first ARC branch in Ilocos Norte and just the second Apostille Receiving Center in the country. The newest DFA ARC can be found, of course, only at Robinsons Ilocos’ Lingkod Pinoy Center. 

DFA Apostille Receiving Center opens at Robinsons Ilocos. 
Photos L-R Helen Grace Vallo, Regional Operations Manager- Robinsons Ilocos;  Hon. Angel Miguel Hernando, Mayor- Municipality of San Nicolas; Hon. Cecilia Araneta-Marcos, Vice Governor- Province of Ilocos Norte); ASec. Adelio Angelito S. Cruz, Assistant Secretary- Office of the Consular Affairs, DFA;  Atty. Manuel Ayap, (Authentication Director- Office of the Consular Affairs) and Maribel G. Baladjay-Borg, Acting Head,  Consular Office, San Nicolas)

A signature public service offering of Robinsons Malls since 2011, the Lingkod Pinoy Center is a one-stop service hub delivering government-related services to the public in a convenient and highly accessible environment. There’s one found in almost every Robinsons Mall throughout the country!  

Each Lingkod Pinoy Center hosts several government agencies, allowing Filipinos to process documents, pay bills, and access other essential services without having to visit multiple locations. Imagine, you can get your errands done in almost no time at all, and after that, enjoy spending the rest of the day shopping, dining, or watching a movie with friends or family, staying true to Robinsons Malls’ promise of making life easier and more convenient for every Filipino.  

What is an apostille? 

The apostille is an internationally accepted form of public document verification. In the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs is the authorized issuer of apostilles, which have replaced the traditional “Red Ribbon” certification method.  

When an apostille is attached to documents such as birth certificates, professional licenses, and school records, it signifies that these are genuine and have been legitimately issued. They are legally valid in any other member country of the Hague Convention (also known as the Apostille Convention), without the need for further certification or legal processes. In effect, an apostille is more convenient, more affordable, and processed much faster than the document verification systems used in the past.   

How do you get one? 

At Robinsons Ilocos, getting a DFA apostille is easy! Starting September 2, anyone can simply walk in the DFA Apostille Receiving Center on Level 2 of the main mall with the documents for processing and pay a flat rate of Php 200 per document.  

More services are now offered at DFA- San Nicolas at Robinsons Ilocos. Aside from passport application and renewal, the general public may now process documents for authentication thru the Apostille Receiving Center.

At the moment, the DFA ARC certifies five types of documents: NBI Clearances, certificates issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (birth certificates, marriage certificates, and certificate of no marriage, among others), licenses and other documents from the Philippine Regulatory Commission (PRC), licenses and registration documents from the Land Transportation Office (LTO), and official school records such as diplomas and transcripts (including TESDA certifications). Like many government offices, the DFA ARC is open from Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.   

With the opening of the DFA’s Apostille Receiving Center in Robinsons Ilocos, Filipinos in the north no longer have to travel far or book online appointments many months ahead to get their important documents verified. Even better, it’s not just limited to Ilocos-based residents, you can apply for an apostille here even if you live elsewhere in the Philippines. Of course, if its more convenient, one may also apply for the apostille at three other DFA consular offices based in Robinsons Malls, more specifically in Robinsons Iloilo, Robinsons Starmills (Pampanga), and Robinsons Galleria Cebu.