Friday, May 27, 2011

Toddler Passport Application at DFA Aseana on a Saturday

Just wanted to share my experience in applying for my then 19-month-old son's passport last March 26, 2011 at DFA Aseana. Siya lang ang kinuhanan ko since yung passports naming mag-asawa will expire in 2013 pa.

I scheduled the appointment online last January. Since I usually wake up late on a Saturday, I got the latest schedule which is 11:30am. We almost did not make it, hehe. We arrived DFA at 11:50am and parked at the vacant lot just across the office. The guard allowed both me and hubby to enter even if si Ryken lang ang may appointment. We went first to the appointment verification counter then to the waiting area for document verification. Pagpasok nga namin sa loob, saktong sinarado na ang gate. :)
Wow, ang daming tao!! We were 2nd to the last in line. All the while I thought we can pay for the regular processing worth Php950.00. Yun pala, if your appointment is on a Saturday, you will pay Php1,200.00 dahil special schedule na raw yun at considered overtime for the employees. Ngek! Nalaman ko kasi yun nung malapit na kami sa unahan ng line. Kung nalaman ko lang agad, sana pala umakyat na kami sa 2nd floor since I am a government employee and I can use the courtesy lane. Hindi naman kasi kami nagmamadaling kumuha ng passport. Though mabilis namang gumalaw ang pila dahil maraming counters ang bukas.

The officer at the document verification window got Ryken's application and orig birth certificate, a xerox copy of our marriage certificate, and the photocopy of my passport. I signed the Affidavit of Consent to Travel sa application kasi so it was the copy of my passport that they attached to the form. I prepared all the supporting documents, orig with xerox copies, kaya kita agad ng officer and he just returned to me the copies na hindi na kailangan.


Then we went up to the 2nd floor to pay. Mahaba ang pila kasi iisa lang ang cashier. After paying, we got a number for the picture taking.

 Wow, 500 pa ang mauuna sa amin so we went out muna to eat lunch. Nakalagay na nga ron to come back after an hour. Around 1:50pm na nun. Good thing maraming kainan sa tapat. We ate at the newly opened Greenwich branch in Aseana. Tambay pa kami ng konti then we went back siguro mga 3:15pm na. Malayo pa rin ang number namin, around 140 people pa ang tatawagin. We were called probably mga 4pm na so roughly 2hours ang waiting time.

The officer did not get Ryken's fingerprints and signature since minor pa siya. Ako lang ang pumirma sa form as acknowledgment. Pinaupo si Ryken on a box of an HP printer ata yun na pinatong sa ibabaw ng computer chair para mataas siya. Hindi nga maganda ang picture ni Ryken eh, hehe. I used his small teddy bear stuffed toy that I placed right behind the digicam para derecho ang tingin niya sa cam. Pagod na rin kasi kami ni hubby at hindi ko rin alam kung paano pangingitiin si Ryken sa picture. Though the officer asked us if we wanted to change his pic pero hinayaan na namin, we just wanted to go home.

Ang bilis lang natapos nung picture taking namin kasi Ryken was behaved. Inaantok na nga siya before that, buti hindi nag-tantrums. We paid for the delivery fee na rin kasi I don't want to go back to get Ryken's passport. From QC/Meycauayan kasi kami, layo rin talaga ng DFA Office sa Macapagal. Nakakapagod lang talaga yung maghintay at super init din ng panahon noon, natapat pang lunchtime to early afternoon kami nasa labas. Mas maganda nga na you get the earliest appointments para hindi matagal ang paghihintay. Nung pagpunta nga namin sa parking, yung sasakyan na lang namin ang naiwan doon, hehe..

I got the passports thru LBC last April 16, 2011.  The delivery date promised was April 17, 2011.  Kudos to DFA, we got the passports on time. :)

Hope this helps you, dear reader. :)

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