DFA: A Test of Patience

I just recently finished getting my expiring passport renewed.

There’s good news and there’s bad. 

The good news:

·        you can apply for the renewal online by visiting the DFA Passport Appointment System at http://passport.com.ph/

·        you don’t need to have ready current passport size pictures as you can choose your appointment date and time when you are ready to visit DFA for them to take your passport picture and thumbprints.  (Sorry no photoshop available—they will take you as you are)

·        depending on available dates and time, you can set your visit at  four DFA centers:

o       ASEANA Business Park, Bradco Avenue corner Macapagal Boulevard, Paranaque Citylocated near Mall of Asia

o       7th Floor Megamall Building C, EDSA corner J. Vargas Avenue, Mandaluyong City.

o       Lingkod Pinoy Center, Level 1 west lane, Robinsons Galleria EDSA cor. Ortigas ave.

o       SM Manila, Conception Street Corner Arroceros and San Marcelino, Manila

·        You can apply through the help of accredited travel agents if you want their representative to meet you at the entrance gate and escort you to your seat.  They will also pay in advance the passport fee.  There really is very little value added to going through an agent.

·        For a minimal fee of P120, the new passport will be couriered to your home or office.

Now for the bad news:

·        The appointment system is not fool-proof.  I chose to apply for an appointment at the MegaMall center but somehow got a confirmation for an appointment at the Aseana Center.  When I visited the DFA at MegaMall center, I was told that there were no open slots at their center available for the date I chose.  The next available slot would be three weeks after. Wanting to get this task completed at the time I chose, I decided to keep the appointment at the Aseana Center.

·        As I arrived quite early for my appointment, I was not allowed to enter the DFA-Aseana Center. Instead, I was told to wait it out in the mid-day summer heat.  I decided to while the time away at a nearby McDo. I pitied those applicants who could not afford or were intimidated to enter the fast-food chain.

·        When I returned at the appropriate time, I and about 200 applicants were told that we could not enter.  We were told that the center was still filled with applicants with earlier appointments. Grrrrrrr..... this is the worse explanation to give to someone who is hot, sweaty and who endeavored to be on time.

·        Finally after 20 minutes of standing in the hot sun, we were allowed entry.

·        Once inside, after my appointment has been verified, I and the rest of the applicants were herded under a make-shift waiting shed.  The heat was unbearable and I decided to wait it out for the next hour by standing under a shade provided by an overhang of the comfort room(!).

·        The lines were moving and I got to enter the airconditioned building.  The bad news was DFA staff ordered us to squeeze ourselves in the available seats—two persons to a seat!!  Did they not hear about respect for personal space?

·        After 30 minutes, I was on my happy way to pay the fee and have my picture taken at the 2^nd floor.  But my smile disappeared when I saw hundreds of applicants seated and waiting for their number to be called.  I was number  2,744.  The monitor showed that number 2,256 was still being processed.  Whhaaaaa!!!!

·        After 3 hours and 30 minutes the renewal process was completed. 

When asked, a DFA staff told me that their office process 3,500 to 4,000 applicants each day.  I was also told that I was lucky that it only took 3 and a half hours for me to finish the process.  Most take about half a day from start to finish. 

Had I decided on a later date, would I have fared better at the offices set up in the Malls? 

Only God knows.

----xoxoxoxox----

All the waiting could have been endured had there been better accommodations for the applicants.  Subjecting people to the elements, in this case the summer sun for long periods of time was cruel and could very well sparked trouble.  It would just be as bad had there been a heavy downpour.  Imagine all those passport pictures of wet faces and limp hair!!

---xoxoxoxox---

I noticed that there were no vending machines or water stations inside the DFA center.  I had to go outside of the DFA center to a nearby gasoline station to buy bottled water. What a different experience it would have been had the DFA served tall glasses of fruit shakes.  I would even volunteer the following recipe for that hit-the-spot thirst quencher.

Beat the Summer Heat Watermelon Shake

4 c  chopped and seeded watermelon, chilled

1-3 t sugar (optional)

½ c water

Ice

Place all of the ingredients in a blender (except for the ice).  Cover and blend at high speed.  When done, pour over ice in a tall glass.

Cheers!