18 Regional Consular Offices are scattered around the country to provide consular services to Filipinos outside Metro Manila but based on my experience, the RCOs are not the best avenue if one needed to have ones passport processed immediately. The newest consular service in Metro Manila which was recently opened along Magsaysay Avenue near SM Mall of Asia is the only answer for fast (if 10 days is fast enough for you) passport processing. There’s one slight drawback though, the “appointment system” which the DFA implemented back March of this year has a long automated on-line queuing. In other words, if one needs to secure for an appointment, the earliest one can get is 30 days later via their web appointment system. There’s a shortcut also, Filipinos are very innovative, one can secure an appointment in as fast as 7 days but it comes with a price. For more information on this, one may visit the old DFA office at Libertad, Pasay City.
I have been chasing the elusive e-passport since the early part of April this year. The chase brought me to the disappointing process at the RCO in Legazpi City wherein on your first visit you need to sign-up for an appointment first, then get back to the assigned future date and continue with your application. The fastest they can deliver the passport is 1 month and unknown days. Imagine traveling to Legazpi City from Naga just to book for an appointment? Why can’t they take phoned-in or web appointments? It’s a waste of time and money! Ever heard of service efficiency and technology my fellow Bicolanos at the RCO?
Once the appointment has been secured, then there’s peace of mind, at least for the time being. Next one has to worry are the pertinent identification cards required by the office as attachment to ones application. By the way, application forms needs to be downloaded from the net once an appointment has been confirmed. The fastest to secure government issued ID is the Postal ID, in a matter of hours, one can have it. The rest like SSS, GSIS, TIN and PhilHealth takes eternity. No worries though, I found out that Company IDs and School IDs are accepted but the original NBI and NSO Authenticated Birth Certificate are required.
Inside the waiting area of the DFA, boredom is the number one enemy. Expect long lines, long queues and long waits. An automated queuing system display updates the applicants with the numbers being served in each of the 23 (if my count is right) windows, all you have to do is look at the screen and watch for your number to appear. But guess what? I found out that DFA is a wi-fi area and most importantly it’s FREE! Be sure to tag along your wifi ready cellular phones or better yet bring you notebook with you. I managed to read and reply to emails, update my blog and follow the Celtics and Lakers game live while waiting for my turn.
The verification section’s average waiting time is approximately 1 hour, submission, verification and signature will take only about 2 minutes and you’re off the second floor to pay and enroll through the e-Passport Capturing Machine where all your submitted documents are scanned, your picture taken, biometric finger printing and digital signature all-in-one. This collective process will take only about 3 minutes but the waiting is about an hour too. Then again, there’s always the wifi access to keep you busy.
The digital passport enrollment system is the last process. There is an option if one wanted to avail of the office’s courier service to ship your passport into your doorstep at P120 only for convenience or get it personally at the designated date. Do I have my passport already? My answer is I’m still chasing it and hopefully I’ll finally catch up with it in the next couple of days.
Got it! But I have nowhere else to go for now. The plan of crossing boarders has been unexpectedly cruel and was a big fat joke. :o)
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