Philippine Passport - My First

I'm proud to say that I'm a few days away from being a full pledged Filipino citizen.

Ako po ay kumuha na ng PASAPORTE!

I hope this will help those people who are planning to get their own.

Before getting one, you should have the ff:

- 2 Valid IDs (Government Issued)
- Birth Certificate
- 3 passport photos

The Department of Foreign Affairs is located along Roxas Blvd. You may park in front of DFA but you will have to walk a few meters away to go to the first step. The processing of the passport is done at the back of the DFA office - DFA basketball court.

First thing you need to remember is not to entertain fixers. Remember what your Mom use to say..."don't talk to strangers". They can smell you a mile away. Go straight to the DFA's basketball court(at the back of the office).

The first step is to fill up the application form and attach 3 photos on it. The application form is given by the guard when you enter the basketball court. If you don't have your passport size pictures yet, there's a mobile photo studio inside and it costs Php150. After filling up the form, fall in line and have your records verified.

Second, go inside the DFA office for the evaluation and processing. You'll need to have your requirements/documents ready. Make sure to photocopy your valid ids before falling in line to avoid delay.

Third and last, go to the Auditorium for the payment, encoding, and finger printing. After finger printing, you just have to wait a week or two for your passport. Expedited(1week) processing costs Php750 while the normal(2weeks) process costs Php500.

The process is simple, you just have to endure the crowd especially when lining up. One more thing, be sure to clear your schedule for the whole day. I'm sure you'll need it. =)