Lessons Learned in applying for a new passport

Since Stan's passport was expiring this year, I decided to renew my passport as well. Barney also needed to renew his passport and we wanted to get yaya Bibi her passport too. I initially thought of applying through the Online Passport Application. But at Php1,300 per passport application, I decided against it and go the manual way.
Still, I was happy to discover that I could make an appointment for my passport application online. When making online applications though, you can use a single email address for 3 appointments. Any more than that, DFA's system will automatically consider you as a "travel agent" and refuse to book a 4th appointment. Luckily, I had several email addresses. So used my gmail for my, Stan's and Barney's appointments, while yaya Bibi's application went on a different email address.
We got our appointment for March 31, 8am. Prior to this, I downloaded the form here and completed the requirements for all 4 applicants. Since yaya Bibi was a new passport applicant, I took pains in completing her requirements. Aside from her NSO certificate, I needed to find "Proof of identity / Supporting documents indicating full name, date and place of birth and citizenship". Based on the passport application form and DFA's website, the supporting documents were:

• Marriage Contract
• Voter’s Registration Record
• PRC/IBP ID
• Baptismal Certificate
• Land Title
• Seaman's Book
• Driver's License
• Income Tax Return (Old)
• Government Service Record
• Old SSS-E1 form/or digitized SSS-ID
• School Form 137 or Transcript of Records
• Other documents that show full name and birth details of applicant and citizenship

So what did I prepare for yaya Bibi? She had a baptismal certificate, postal ID, SSS-E1 form and Voter's registration record with her photograph on it. Since I had about 4 supporting documents, I thought I had complied with DFA's requirements. But I guessed wrong!

To my surprise, when we submitted the requirements at Counter 8 at DFA-Manila, I was informed that the requirements were insufficient. Since yaya Bibi was a new passport applicant, she should have brought her yearbook and/or school ID. I informed the DFA employee that those requirements were not listed in the website or application form. I also requested for his name so I can report the same. He refused to give his name and told us to come back when the requirements are completed.

Grrrrrr!!! Is it really this difficult to get a passport?! I wanted to finish on the same day so I called a friend who helped me get a "courtesy application" for yaya Bibi. I was able to process yaya Bibi's passport although we had to pay a higher fee (P750) as opposed to our P500 pesos application fee. This was because all courtesy applications are treated as "expedited processing," requiring a higher fee. Still, this was a lot cheaper than the P1300 online passport application fee.

Lessons Learned:
#1 When renewing your passport, the manual way is acceptable - but make sure you request for an online appointment. This will make the application process painless. Make sure you get the earliest time slot (8am). Stan/Barney and my passport applications were completed in less than 1 hour.
#2 You can request that your passports be mailed to you through LBC. Cost is P100 per passport. You will receive your passport the day after it is released. In our case, since there are a lot of holidays, we received our passport on April 24. However, yaya Bibi got her passport on April 14 since hers was an expedited passport application.
#3 If you are a new passport applicant, bring your yearbook, school ID, transcript of records -- bring everything (including the kitchen sink)!
#4 Have your photo taken outside. Photographers (in DFA) charge P135 for 6 passport photos (double the price). Make the necessary photocopies, fill up your application forms and bring your black ballpen!
#5 If all else fails, look for a friend who works in DFA and ask to be his/her "courtesy applicant" for the month. They have a monthly quota of 3 courtesy applications.

I've written a letter to the DFA Passport Director complaining about my experience and the variances in the requirements for new applicants. It's just really sad that DFA makes it really difficult for Filipinos to apply for passports. Usually, it is the hard-up Filipinos who apply for passports and encounter problems with the DFA. If the requirements are correctly listed, I'm sure it will save Filipinos money and time by not having to go back and forth to completed the requested documents -- or to resort to fixers!

Hay... here's hoping the system will change... next up.. applying for Stan, Mommy, Barney and the yayas' digitized SSS ID-cards.