Passport Renewal 101 and Regina Spektor

ok I will post several tips to help anyone who wants to renew their passport - please take this seriously or you will really regret it.

1) Gising ng maaga - government offices opens at 8 AM but people flock the DFA office as earlya s 5 AM. I am not kidding - I arrived there around 6 AM and the line is almost outside the basketball court. Yes, it is that long. nag snake-snake na yung pila sa basketball court. If i have to give you an advice - id be there by 5:00 AM

2) Gising ng maaga - uu eto ang pinakaimportante. If you arrive around 8 AM - naku after lunch ka na makakauwi kasi aabutan mo cguro ung lunch break and konti lang ang open na window sa loob.

3) completely fill-up your application form before you go there - wag na dun kasi mahihirapan ka mag fill-up sa pila. You have to attach pictures, put your thumb marks, and attach a small envelope with 2 extra pictures.

4) speaking of pictures - the new rule is that you should now have a "royal Blue" background and not the usual white. I was told KODAK have an unofficial blessing from DFA since they have the correct royal blue background. I noticed an ID station inside DFA premises - though I am not sure if they are already open by 5 AM. So papicture na bago pa lang punta dun para attached na rin sa application form.

5) Ung application form pala eh available online (google: DFA philippines) - so download nyo na at fill-up na bago pa punta dun.

6) Dont forget to bring your old passport - and attach a photo copy of the first and last pages of your passport with your application form. If you also have VISAs on your passport - attach a photocopy as well.

7) Ask directions inside the DFA premises and not outside - sobrang daming fixers sa labas, they will hound you like pack of wolves but just ignore them. yung first na pila ung mahalaga - so make sure you are on the right line.

8) Renewal of passports cannot be coursed through any travel agency - unlike before na pede kang magbayad na lang at hindi na pumunta sa DFA.

9) If you survived the 4 stages (processing, payment, fingerprint, finalization) - good job, babalikan mo na lang ang passport mo depende sa payment na ginawa mo. If rushed - 7 working days and if normal i think its 14 days, P750 and P500 ang fees respectively.

10) There is also an option if you want your passport delivered right at your doorsteps - bayad ka lang ng extra at un ang step#5 - pero ako, babalikan ko na lang dun.

Goodluck hehe

Another thing - alam mo yung kantang Samson ni Regina Spektor? anyways - sya currently ang gusto kong singer. Below is a video of her performance sa Conan - hangang hanga si Conan eh, kasi musician din sya.