Thursday, July 30, 2009

Passport Renewal

Today I finally decided to renew my passport. It actually expired December of last year. My first time to go to the so called DFA here in Bacolod City. You see for the longest time, there is no DFA here in Negros Occidental but only mobile passporting which happens only during Masskara Festival, town or city fiesta, and other big events but aside from that if you want to apply or renew your pasport you need to go to the other island, Iloilo.

And so I have been waiting for a chance to have a mobile passporting here only to know very recently that there is a DFA right here in Bacolod. :_) I asked my friend to check it out and asked for the form as well.

So with a bit of drizzling and armed with my umbrella off I go. It's located in East Block very near Lopue's East, the same street that will lead you to the new Bacolod City Hall (best jeepney to ride is Homesite because it goes all the way to City Hall). Had to take my passport picture first and they do it inside LBC office (just on the ground); it's a tie up project for passport delivery and at the same time a cooperative. For 4 pieces of picture on which I didn't even have a single copy I paid P150. OMG! I'm just amazed though with the technology now that for 3 minutes it was done and ready. :_)

DFA office is located on the 2nd floor and I've to say I'm impressed with the employees. A 'good afternoon, ma'am/sir' for each client they serve is not only proper but nice. :_) Process on how to go about your application and/or renewal is all clearly written and visible for everyone to see and since I think it's not yet known for everyone that they now exist, only a few of us were there and it hasten things. Regular processing which takes 20 working days costs P500 and an extra P250 for express processing (14 working days). So in only about 15 minutes I was out of DFA and also my P900 disappeared. (lol)

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