My NBI and DFA experiences
Friday, November 14, 2008
I went to DFA Office to file my application for a renewal of my passport.
From the gasoline Station to the entrance of Passport Office, I was met by fixers saying:
Mam, dito po ang application form bago kayo papasok...
Mam, dito po mag papa ID.
Mam, dito po ang simula ng pag aapply.
Some have badges, looked legally appointed(which I doubted it) by DFA. Some have wooden sticks to direct? or to sway applicants to their wishes.One was even very much sticky to me, I screamed to him to go away and let me pass.
Taray.
I went direct to DFA entrance while fixers still shouting:
Those who do not have application forms, here... this way...
Imagine the scene. It reminds me of Cockfighting arena in my Hometown in Bacolod...
While the guards donot bother them blocking all applicants...Tsk tsk tsk...
I entered the basketball court,approached a van, pay 150pesos for 6 photos , get the stub to have my photo taken. I was wearing a white blouse and the DFA attendant said, i should wear one of their blouses because my white blouse might taken as tshirt in the photo.Sige na nga...Then I went to the table for the application forms and paste my 2 photos. I filled up all blanks,put my thumbmarks on the space provided in the forms and fall in line again to get an appointment.
My appointment was at 3-4pm, and it was only 10am.We are around 200 applicants waiting.
Whew, looong wait.
I went outside to eat at Jolibee, and I heard at nearby tables,some of our kababayans complained being conned by the fixers outside.
1."One fixer told me, I must get an application form from them or I cannot enter inside, so I went with them and they told me, 10pesos for the form, 160pesos for my photos, 5 pesos for the paste, 5 pesos for the thumbmark, and 1600pesos for the passport after a week."
WOW.Another one lamented...
2."My husband told me not to mind all those outside. I was hypnotized by one of the lady fixers, because she seems honest and very much accomodating, saying to me, be careful to others , lolokohin ka dyan, even sa loob, halika , I give you an application form, then I teach you what to do.(hmmnn, monalisa smile ba?)
I eventually paid the same, 5 pesos for the paste, 5 pesos for the thumbmark, 160pesos for the photos and 800pesos for the passport process... Now, I have to pay again, because DFA personnel did not accept my photos, and worse did not honor the reciept the fixer gave me. Bye bye 1000pesos... My husband wanted to strangle me..."
3."And outside, Vendors offered seats , for 20pesos. Mag jolibee ka na lang , busog ka pa."
I left Jolibee and back to the queue, and inside the verification process, some applicants were disgruntled because after ten identification cards presented, the counter personnel still did not accept their applications. One was told to get a Birth Certificate of his children to prove his identity... He was almost crying saying: What has my children's BC got to do with my identity..! I came from Mindoro...
Me:(15 hours by boat, at least, haha)
One lady said: I have my BC ,comelec Id, Postal ID, they dont want to know...
My turn was easy. Ten minutes later , she was stamping my application form, asked me when did I last left Phils, and when did I arrived.I provided her all photocopies of entries and still she cannot find it. Of course, she cant find it, the immigration officers just stamped anywhere. She commented: Mam, sa dami nyo ng travels...hindi ko makita...
Sus. I have to work for her...
Then, payment time... encoding time. The one attending me is a "bading"(gay). While doing his work, he was busy texting, lol. Then a call from another bading nearby: "Pare, halika muna, andyan si Allan K, dalhin mo cel mo, we can have a photo with him, daliii"
He stands up, told me to read the entries in the screen, he will be right back.
When he's back, he even showed me the photo, si Allan K nga, kababayan ko...
Buhay Bading nga naman...
My passport will be released in a week time, for 750 pesos only process fee.
I escaped the fixers charging 1600 pesos, and might deliver me a fake one.
see:Passport requirements
The NBI Application Process:
I choosed the reason: Travel Abroad. I went to a branch nearby, and cant expose the branch here in my blog because my experience might upset the people working there.
I paid 115 pesos thru a machine ticket.
Got the reciept and gave to the person conducting the fingerprinting.
He charged me 5 pesos for one piece of wipes he provided after the fingerprinting.
I refuse to pay him. I always carry wet wipes in my bag.He seems didnt bother about mine, but he insisted to others in queue to prepare 5 pesos for One pad of wet wipes. In 100 applicants x 5 pesos, baw, daku kuarta na dong...daily...
Anyways...
I have the photo taken, get encoded and a reciept was given to me."Releasing na po kayo." Goodie. Meaning, my name is not on the Hit List of 7 days wait like the others... my name must be in clean record or no same surname in the data base who has bad records... or same name...
I remember, Atty Pulido was put to Hit List because there are so many Pulidos in the data base, same name with her...
At releasing area, the girl asked me the purpose of NBI Certificate. Travel Abroad.
She asked me for 5 pesos.
-Why?
-Envelope, Mam.
-I dont need that...
-Still 5 pesos...
Lorraine nudged me to give 5 pesos and leave.
I looked back to the lady in a complaining mood.
-Five pesos, hey, why dont they put it all in the ticket that I have to pay 5 pesos extra..!
-Ma, sa kanya na yung 5 pesos...
Ah.
Para namang Mafia... 1000x5 pesos thats 5000pesos.
And kawawa ang mga aplikante, yung iba, dagdag pamasahe pa yung 5pesos back home...
Im complaining its not about money, its about being correct to all, di ba?
But,as a saying goes like this: do what the romans do, and be quiet...
What be quiet?
I blog!
From the gasoline Station to the entrance of Passport Office, I was met by fixers saying:
Mam, dito po ang application form bago kayo papasok...
Mam, dito po mag papa ID.
Mam, dito po ang simula ng pag aapply.
Some have badges, looked legally appointed(which I doubted it) by DFA. Some have wooden sticks to direct? or to sway applicants to their wishes.One was even very much sticky to me, I screamed to him to go away and let me pass.
Taray.
I went direct to DFA entrance while fixers still shouting:
Those who do not have application forms, here... this way...
Imagine the scene. It reminds me of Cockfighting arena in my Hometown in Bacolod...
While the guards donot bother them blocking all applicants...Tsk tsk tsk...
I entered the basketball court,approached a van, pay 150pesos for 6 photos , get the stub to have my photo taken. I was wearing a white blouse and the DFA attendant said, i should wear one of their blouses because my white blouse might taken as tshirt in the photo.Sige na nga...Then I went to the table for the application forms and paste my 2 photos. I filled up all blanks,put my thumbmarks on the space provided in the forms and fall in line again to get an appointment.
My appointment was at 3-4pm, and it was only 10am.We are around 200 applicants waiting.
Whew, looong wait.
I went outside to eat at Jolibee, and I heard at nearby tables,some of our kababayans complained being conned by the fixers outside.
1."One fixer told me, I must get an application form from them or I cannot enter inside, so I went with them and they told me, 10pesos for the form, 160pesos for my photos, 5 pesos for the paste, 5 pesos for the thumbmark, and 1600pesos for the passport after a week."
WOW.Another one lamented...
2."My husband told me not to mind all those outside. I was hypnotized by one of the lady fixers, because she seems honest and very much accomodating, saying to me, be careful to others , lolokohin ka dyan, even sa loob, halika , I give you an application form, then I teach you what to do.(hmmnn, monalisa smile ba?)
I eventually paid the same, 5 pesos for the paste, 5 pesos for the thumbmark, 160pesos for the photos and 800pesos for the passport process... Now, I have to pay again, because DFA personnel did not accept my photos, and worse did not honor the reciept the fixer gave me. Bye bye 1000pesos... My husband wanted to strangle me..."
3."And outside, Vendors offered seats , for 20pesos. Mag jolibee ka na lang , busog ka pa."
I left Jolibee and back to the queue, and inside the verification process, some applicants were disgruntled because after ten identification cards presented, the counter personnel still did not accept their applications. One was told to get a Birth Certificate of his children to prove his identity... He was almost crying saying: What has my children's BC got to do with my identity..! I came from Mindoro...
Me:(15 hours by boat, at least, haha)
One lady said: I have my BC ,comelec Id, Postal ID, they dont want to know...
My turn was easy. Ten minutes later , she was stamping my application form, asked me when did I last left Phils, and when did I arrived.I provided her all photocopies of entries and still she cannot find it. Of course, she cant find it, the immigration officers just stamped anywhere. She commented: Mam, sa dami nyo ng travels...hindi ko makita...
Sus. I have to work for her...
Then, payment time... encoding time. The one attending me is a "bading"(gay). While doing his work, he was busy texting, lol. Then a call from another bading nearby: "Pare, halika muna, andyan si Allan K, dalhin mo cel mo, we can have a photo with him, daliii"
He stands up, told me to read the entries in the screen, he will be right back.
When he's back, he even showed me the photo, si Allan K nga, kababayan ko...
Buhay Bading nga naman...
My passport will be released in a week time, for 750 pesos only process fee.
I escaped the fixers charging 1600 pesos, and might deliver me a fake one.
see:Passport requirements
The NBI Application Process:
I choosed the reason: Travel Abroad. I went to a branch nearby, and cant expose the branch here in my blog because my experience might upset the people working there.
I paid 115 pesos thru a machine ticket.
Got the reciept and gave to the person conducting the fingerprinting.
He charged me 5 pesos for one piece of wipes he provided after the fingerprinting.
I refuse to pay him. I always carry wet wipes in my bag.He seems didnt bother about mine, but he insisted to others in queue to prepare 5 pesos for One pad of wet wipes. In 100 applicants x 5 pesos, baw, daku kuarta na dong...daily...
Anyways...
I have the photo taken, get encoded and a reciept was given to me."Releasing na po kayo." Goodie. Meaning, my name is not on the Hit List of 7 days wait like the others... my name must be in clean record or no same surname in the data base who has bad records... or same name...
I remember, Atty Pulido was put to Hit List because there are so many Pulidos in the data base, same name with her...
At releasing area, the girl asked me the purpose of NBI Certificate. Travel Abroad.
She asked me for 5 pesos.
-Why?
-Envelope, Mam.
-I dont need that...
-Still 5 pesos...
Lorraine nudged me to give 5 pesos and leave.
I looked back to the lady in a complaining mood.
-Five pesos, hey, why dont they put it all in the ticket that I have to pay 5 pesos extra..!
-Ma, sa kanya na yung 5 pesos...
Ah.
Para namang Mafia... 1000x5 pesos thats 5000pesos.
And kawawa ang mga aplikante, yung iba, dagdag pamasahe pa yung 5pesos back home...
Im complaining its not about money, its about being correct to all, di ba?
But,as a saying goes like this: do what the romans do, and be quiet...
What be quiet?
I blog!
Labels: passport and nbi
posted by Francesca at 9:59 AM, | 
12 Comments:
Dios ko pooooooooooo! Amy, napagod ako sa kwento mo, parang ang hirap ng inabot mo eh ang init init pa, hirap talaga dito sa Pinas. Kasi naman dapat via phone mo nalang nilakad ang passport at BC mo.
See you sa Tuesday, lunch sa Serendra's Bonifacio High Street dun ba sa pinag posingan natin, remember? sa Clawdaddy's tayo ha?
See you sa Tuesday, lunch sa Serendra's Bonifacio High Street dun ba sa pinag posingan natin, remember? sa Clawdaddy's tayo ha?
Dapat pala nag DFA direct ka nalang, pickup at deliver right at your doorsteps
Corruption heavy talaga. Nakakainis at nakaka embarass! Hay naku!
naku te amy sa bureau of immigration 1K ung lagay kung gusto mgextend ng isang foreigner sa pinas usually kasi it takes all day to process it pag ayw mgintay lagay k 1k sa gitna ng passport 5 mins ayos n. gnyan n tlga sa pinas matagal na
I’ve never been to NBI and describing your experience I am sure if I will go through something like that, the bitch in me will get out. In Bisaya, makatilaw gyud sila nako! lol
Enjoy the warm weather in Manila.
-DP
Enjoy the warm weather in Manila.
-DP
grabe talaga ang red tape sa atin. kung hindi ka ready na magbigay ng "padulas" eh dusa talaga ang aabutin.
I remember after my wedding I have to change my passport since I change civil status. I went to DFA Oct. 31 assuming that only few people are there kc uuwi ng province for araw ng mga patay. Nyerks!! I arrived 9AM sobrang damiiiiiiiii ng tao. May mga nag-away,nahigblood, at kung ano ano pa. Ay may nagligawan pa nga haha! isang seaman and a divorcee from her Australian husband(I hope they are really both single lol) Sa tagal sa pila napagusapan na ata nila buong buhay nila plus picture picture with their cellphone todo na to!.
I went home at 9PM. Nag over time din ang DFA to cater all the people. That was really worst and I can't help but think ganun kadami araw araw ang mga taong gustong umalis ng pinas. - Ana-
I went home at 9PM. Nag over time din ang DFA to cater all the people. That was really worst and I can't help but think ganun kadami araw araw ang mga taong gustong umalis ng pinas. - Ana-
naku, hindi parin talaga nagbabago system sa atin. until now, wala parin system, hehe! i don't understand why it takes so much time to process one paper. kaya tuloy, kumikita mga "fixers" e. we want the easy way out. anyway, glad to know you accomplished what you needed to do while you're vacationing in pinas.
anong nangyari sa post mo before this? sino ang mga anonymous commentors? very harsh naman!! i suggest i-moderate mo lahat ng comments para puede mo siyang mabura. that way, she cannot comment easily! in any case, wag mo nalang pansinin, wala lang siya magawa.
anong nangyari sa post mo before this? sino ang mga anonymous commentors? very harsh naman!! i suggest i-moderate mo lahat ng comments para puede mo siyang mabura. that way, she cannot comment easily! in any case, wag mo nalang pansinin, wala lang siya magawa.
With my Bureau of immigration experience sobra din. For our wedding,my husband and his friends have to extend their stay. There are posted steps to follow naman on the wall how to extend visa, pero maraming makulit na fixers inside insisting to help you para daw hindi na pipila. We were not in a hurry so I don't care pipila kung pipila. Makulit pa rin sinigawan ko na talaga para umalis.. At the counter sabi samin bukas na to makukuha(10AM pa lng yun ha). Ok, were about to leave sabi maam gusto mo makuha within the day mga 3PM? I said "Sige salamat balik na lang kami mamaya" sabay alis coz i dont want to hear what they will say next. When we claimed the visa I just let the frenchies to get their visa. I stayed away watching them, hinahanap nung nasa counter ang pinay daw na kasama kasi i know hihingi ng money sakin. Ayoko ngang lumapit, kamot na lng sa ulo yung mga staff dun sabay bigay ng passport with visa to the frenchies. Haa! Di nila ako maisahan uy! loko sila.- Ana ulit-
girls, imagine, marghie in France needs renewing her passport and timely, the phil embassy of paris staff are in Nice and Monaco to process NBI And Passport renewals.
Sa mga walang papel (TNT) 45euros
(3000php)
Sa mga filipinos with french residents, 100euros or 6000pesos.
and hinanapan pa ng BC AUTHENTICATED ng dfa at malacanang,si marghie, eh legal na ng sa france eh, duda pa sa passport niya to renew...
I chatted with Michel samahan na si marghie, to asked exactly the reason of diff amounts eh parehong Pinoy passports naman....
tulog pa sila don at the moment, di ko matanong ang im edgy.
ano sila 750 pesos lang passport renewal dito, at 500pesos nga lang if two weeks process....
corruption ba in all levels? grrr ha.
Sa mga walang papel (TNT) 45euros
(3000php)
Sa mga filipinos with french residents, 100euros or 6000pesos.
and hinanapan pa ng BC AUTHENTICATED ng dfa at malacanang,si marghie, eh legal na ng sa france eh, duda pa sa passport niya to renew...
I chatted with Michel samahan na si marghie, to asked exactly the reason of diff amounts eh parehong Pinoy passports naman....
tulog pa sila don at the moment, di ko matanong ang im edgy.
ano sila 750 pesos lang passport renewal dito, at 500pesos nga lang if two weeks process....
corruption ba in all levels? grrr ha.
Akala ko ba tapos na tayo sa pilahan nang ganyan! mama mia hindi pa palah?? end of 2009 apply na din ako for F.national nko babalik papala ako jan ayokoooo nah ang init! tama na yung 3 days pila ko sa NSO kakasimhot sa mga kilikili nang katabi ko, kakalakad sa daan na naka tirik ang araw, gising nang 4 am nang umaga para maka una sa pila at sa mga highblood na kumukuha nang mga papeles nila dahil sa gutom at paghihintay tinitiis kahit maliit ang budget para lang maka pag abroad. Kakawa pero ganun eh " si comme ça !"
I love reading your posts, especially those about Butler.
Anyway, kwento lang, I came from Manila to request for an NBI clearance earlier this week. Took me over two hours sa Carriedo. Pero mura lang ang wipes - P2 lang. And meron pang sign na "sa may gusto lang." Hehehe.
Accomodating naman sila, nagbibigay din ng tips on how to make things faster. Go to this counter first before the others, etc.