I know, I know, I haven't updated my other blog, Ask The Jester-in-Exile for quite a while -- mostly because of the sort of questions I had been getting via email (please stop asking me about prettynometry; enough already), and since the jester-in-exile does not yet have a love life, he has absolutely no standing to answer such questions (please write someone else... try Arbet or Maki, for instance), so there we are.
However, I do have quite a backlog related to school stuff, specifically on enrolling in the University of the Philippines College of Law, even more specifically enrolling in the evening program. So to those who sent the emails, do visit Ask The Jester-in-Exile for my answer to FC, UP College of Law freshman to be. (This is the part where we chant over the fellow "in nomine patris, et filius, et spiritus sanctus" nyahaha.)
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So okay, since we're in the advice-giving mode, here's one for people preparing to renew their passports: caveat emptor. This morning, I learned several things:
- The guidelines and the procedures posted by DFA on its website and on panel boards in the area are NOT TRUE. It isn't your documents that they'll check; what they want is a photocopy of your application form, which they will then affix a date for an appointment. Here are some photos of the procedures that we renewal folks did not follow:
- Everything costs. Some people at the entrance, who look as if they are government employees will demand that they take your "machine readable" photos. Heck, once you enter, you'll see the same thing. Even worse, it costs PhP150 for the photos (twice that in the mall studios), and PhP10 to have them placed in a pouch, stapled to the form, and for the fingerprinting ink.
This shop operates in front of the DFA entrance.
The photo, form, and ink = PhP160. Does the DFA know about this operation?
Cost of photocopying inside the DFA basketball court. The quality is no different from library photocopies that we get in UP College of Law library at fifty centavos each.
Still another photography shop inside. Ginawang business ang public service.
Here's what I'd suggest to people who plan to renew:
- If you can wait, wait. See, I have to go back to the DFA on Tuesday, just to get to "Step 2", whatever that may be later on.
- If you can't wait, scrimp a little and spend on a travel agency to take care of your renewals... if that can be done at all.
- If you really can't wait, go to the provincial DFA offices, like in San Fernando, La Union. With any luck, they won't be as disorganized and fraught with camp followers as DFA Manila is.
Here's what I suggest to DFA Manila people: GET YOUR GODDAMNED ACT TOGETHER.
Heh. I think I'll stop here, before the bureaucrats ruin the good mood I've been having since last night.
Later, all.
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2 comments:
Well, two things.
First, my wife operates a travel agency. Even if you go through one you would still have to go through personal appearance. So it's not really a big help.
Second, notice that the photocopying and passport photo ventures are operated by the DFA Employees Cooperative, NOT by the Department of Foreign Affairs per se. Ergo, those are private enterprises. Sure, the DFA allowed them to do their thing there. Point is, you can go and renew your passports with photos taken from mall photo stores as long as it follows the new regulations (blue background, etc.)
I think it's unfair to totally attribute this to the DFA.
But where are you going? :(
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