Before I go looking for possible log furniture designs I need to recommend to an aunt building a resthouse within our area, I wanted to finally blog about our amazing DFA experience before I forget

We were finally able to go through with our family application for passports last Friday, August 27th. Even if you do not have plans of travelling soon, it would be advisable for you to apply for an epassport (machine-readable, with digital signature and thumbprints) now. I applied for an appointment for us last July 11th and the earliest available slot was August 20th already. I wanted a Friday because Edil has no work that day (DFA is closed on weekends) and the first slot (7AM) because I was advised that spillovers happen.

1. First you need to set up an appointment here: http://epassport.com.ph/. It is fairly easy to do. Just pick out the dates you prefer. You will receive a confirmation e-mail which you need to print out (or copy the confirmation numbers). It contains a link to your passport application forms. Print that out.

2. Prepare your documents. I was going with the renewal and change of name/status while Edil and the kids were new applications.

Renewal:
Old passport – copy of front and back parts
Marriage certificate – if you are going to use your married name
(The lady who processed my application didn’t need my birth certificate)

New Applications:
Birth Certificates with NSO seal – if you have the old ones issued 2006 (yellow and blue papers) – that’s fine.
Copies of ID’s – since the kids are still in school and are minors, have their school IDs photocopied

*We were also made to photocopy our passport application forms as IDs for the kids.

** Have everything photocopied twice, just to be sure. It will be a hassle going out of the building to have it done and it cost Php3 each.

3. Go to the DFA Aseana early. We are instructed to be there 30 mins before schedule. We got the 7AM schedule so we were there at 6.30AM. Have the printout of your confirmation appointment email ready because the guard will look for it (and the time you have scheduled) – and guide you where to line up accordingly. The guard showed us there were 5000++ applicants that day and our time slot (7:00-7:30AM) had 276 applicants. So be early. It is also best if you have kids that you bring food and something they can be entertained with. My kids drew the whole time and listened to my iPhone.

4. Within 15 minutes, we were ushered in and wow, the room was cold – LOVE IT! There were already so many people but everything was organized. Security was everywhere guiding and assisting people and there were about 15 DFA personnel processing queues. We only had one number because we went as a family.

5. After processing the documents, you are going to pay at the cashier on the second floor. You get to choose between the regular processing which costs Php950 (20business days) or the express which costs Php1200 (10business days). At the processing window, you will see when would be the expected dates of releasing. Love that there are notices. You dont have to ask so much.

 

Again, long lines. but there were four cashiers so it went by pretty fast.

We paid for the regular processing since we are not in a hurry (we get them September 27th supposedly)

6. After the cashier, you just walk towards the image capturing stations and get your assigned numbers. We also got one number as a family and this is your time to freshen up (no need though because I barely broke into a sweat). There were about 50 image capturing stations so our number was called out in no time.

The DFA personnel again, was so gracious and patient. I know they have invested so much in the machines – everything is scanned in and ready to go. She took Martha’s picture twice and would ask us if we were satisfied with how we looked in the picture. Too bad I was sporting a big zit right in the middle of my eyes above my nose so no amount of retakes can zap that out.

I signed in behalf of the kids. Matthew, being 10, did not sign but was eligible for getting his thumbprints. Edil and I signed digitally (using a pen tablet) and had thumbprints scanned in.

7. If you wish to have the passport delivered, you just need to line up again and pay. It was fast enough because there were about 4 couriers to choose from. I just went to the next empty slot and was assigned 2Go. They cost 120Php each passport.

Timecheck: By 8AM we were done. Amazing.

It is NOT cheap to have one’s passport taken, especially if you consider the thousands of OFWs trying to get out the country to make a decent living. But it is a primary form of ID and lasts five years – and with how efficient the DFA upgraded its equipment and streamlined its process, I would gladly pay the price.

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