Courtesy Lanes at DFA

Courtesy Lanes at DFA

After 10 thousand years... finally found the time to apply for my passport at DFA! After putting it off for months and months now, I'm happy I was able to file it already. Getting and compiling the requirements was quite easy given the "network" Batas has, and submitting it to DFA (at "courtesy lanes" no less) was also a piece of cake.

Tito Erning was an expert at dealing with DFA officials already.. he can maneouver the ins and outs of all the windows and offices with his eyes closed! All we did was give him the papers, sit and wait to be called... sobrang walang hassle!

I couldn't say the same for the rest who were applying though. Even at courtesy lane, it was still chaotic--there were no queues, and each applicant was trying to plead with the OIC to accept their documents (somehow, a lot of them had delinquencies still, esp at the Diplomat window). Much more with those lined up downstairs, waiting from 6am to have their papers authenticated. There were miles and miles of people wanting to go abroad... I haven't seen that the last time I went with my mom to get her passport (I was grade 5 then, but still...)

It's always sad to blame the system for inefficiencies like this. Now that more Filipinos want to go abroad, there is much demand for their papers to be processed immediately, and with less hassle and costs as possible. Even if there are so many fixers lined up, it would take you around a week or two just to get your paper to the window and have it filed. Add that to how many more weeks to claim your passport.. it's a wonder this government still can accomplish so much. We would have said that the DFA should put in more people to make the processing faster and the lines shorter, but with budget deficit issues and oil price hikes and the VAT increase still to be resolved... For the meantime, I think this is one request that would be left for another pile, and not even courtesy lanes can do its magic this time...