Getting that Philippine Passport (Part 2 of 2).

So you finally photocopied each and every ID and paperwork that you have. Does that mean you can walk into the DFA Office and dump all your paperwork and then walk out?

No.

Does that mean we have to push and shove and hope that we make the cut off?

People praying to get their passports.

Again, No. 

Thanks to the new DFA Passport Appointment System, I was able to apply for a schedule online. If you are applying, feel free to visit their site and read more here. If you want to set up an appointment immediately, the link is http://passport.com.ph/set-appointment.

The site is fairly easy to navigate and my application was done in about 5 minutes. Just follow the onscreen directions and make sure to input the correct information (mother's maiden name).  After the application you will receive an email with a link to print out the passport application forms. 

  

     

Print out these 2 forms on LONG bond paper. 

The website advises that you come in at least 30 minutes before your appointed time and I thought that it was a bit strange since I got an "appointment". I thought it would be a one on one session with a DFA employee but I was wrong. DEAD wrong. 

Here is a map of the DFA site just to give you an idea on where to go:

The arrows point to the treasure.

I arrived an hour before my scheduled time and they let me in. Inside the compound they checked the printout (see above) and told me to proceed to the processing windows. In this area, the line moves quickly since there are about 20 windows. They will assess your paperwork and IDs and tell you if you can move on to the next step or go home and furnish more.  

My papers got accepted and the next step is easier and quicker. They had me pay the processing fee and gave me a claiming stub and told me to proceed to the next step, which is called encoding. 

Did i mention I arrived an hour before my time? Well, there is a reason they ask you to come in 30 minutes earlier. It's because when I was in the encoding section, there were 300 people ahead of me. Yes, 300! This is where they take your photo, input your details and tell you to come back. I was almost bent on waiting for about 2 hours so what I did was I went to the section that deals with the agency applications to wait it out.

The DFA Office of Consular Affairs building.

I chose a chair near the processors and waited for my number (This is not a tip). Luckily, one of the supervisors noticed me and asked if I was alone. I said yes, so he got my application and it was processed right away! See, waiting is not that bad! 

And yes, I kept the claim stub safe because I was warned that I won't be able to claim my passport if I don't have that. After the promised 15 days I went back and yes, I got my passport. 

I used to hear a lot of stories on how hard it is to get anything done when you deal with government institutions. What I realized is that this does not seem to be true anymore. The DFA office is orderly, clean and air-conditioned. The DFA employees are smiling and accommodating. There is progress in the Philippines. And if this is any indication of where our country is moving towards, I'm all for it.

Getting that Philippine Passport (Part 1 of 2).

This is not a photo album.

As part of an economic segment that receives an overseas allotment, one of the most pressing needs that we have is having a valid Philippine government issued identification card. We will cover each of the major I.D's in this blog.

Let's start with the Philippine Passport. This is one of the MOST valid I.D's that you can have. We used to have difficulty in obtaining one due to long queues and the red tape that usually involves any government related concern, but thank heavens for automation and the Internet.

I have divided this post into two. Part 1 is the requirements and Part 2 is the actual process. This part is important because based from what I saw when I applied, there are people who went there only to be turned down because they lack proper identification or requirements.

The Requirements:

The DFA Passport Appointment System site (click here) lists several paperwork that we would need to obtain the passport. But I will narrow it down based on my experience. Feel free to click on the links in this article for each government institution.

First, we need a NSO issued Birth Certificate printed on SecPa or Security Paper (Basically the ones they give out). You can obtain one from the National Statistics Office in Quezon City. Be there early and you can get your birth certificate the same day. You can also call the NSO Birth Certificate Phone Number (02) 737-1111 to have it delivered. I recently received a text message that we can also chat online (click here) for delivery.

Next we need VALID I.D's. 

If you already work, then this won't be much of a problem. The usual I.D's are SSS, LTO Drivers license and Company and or School I.Ds.

Your name is Mang Inasal?
Oh shit.

I did not process my SSS I.D and I lost my E1 form, so I obtained a microfilm copy of the SSS E1 form (we'll get to that in another post since I had a great experience with SSS Quezon Avenue). 

Note: If you want the microfilm copy and your SSS number starts with 33 (Year 2001 or before) it will take up to a month to get it. 

Next I have with me my NBI Clearance. The one that I have is almost expired (11 months) but they accepted it.

I also brought with me my company I.D.

They do not accept LTO student driver licenses. They only accept the digitized Pro/Non-Pro Drivers license.

Photo from Saksi

Don't even think about it.

If you do not have those I.D's then we will have a problem. Try to obtain at least one and secure the documents listed below as additional proof before applying (per my phone call to DFA Consular Affairs).

• Baptismal Certificate
• Old Year Book with photos
• College/School I.D.
• Transcript of Records
• Old Employment contracts
• Income Tax Returns (Old)

Do not count on your Postal I.D too, because there are notes on the front desks that Postal I.D's will not be accepted nor McLovins.

Being the inquisitive little freak that I am, I asked why all the paperwork. The lady who answered me said that they need to verify how your name is spelled. That's about it.

If you have questions regarding your requirements, give them a call. They answer immediately:

For redundancy.

 DFA Passport Appointment: (02) 737-1000.

That number usually is for making an appointment but based from my experience, they also answer simple questions. For questions that need a lifeline or Einstein, call this:

    DFA Office of Consular Affairs: (02) 556-0000

Photocopy all of this before proceeding with the next steps (Part 2). Although there is a small photocopy section outside of DFA Aseana Consular Affairs Building, I would not bet my appointment on it. 

Making Your Resume Effective

When I finally decided to pursue a career, I spent about 2 hours in making my resume. I was fine with my 2 page resume until a friend who owns his own company saw my resume and said "let me fix it." 

I asked myself if there is really a "wrong" resume, and when I got the chance to work as a recruitment specialist (less than a year), I realized that there are no "wrong" resumes, just inefficient ones.

So here are some of my tips in writing that EFFECTIVE resume.

1. Know your job description. If you're applying for a call center related job for the first time, then focus your resume on your strengths as a speaker and an analytical thinker. Say for example that you are a part of your debate team or that you used to head the english (or whatever language you are applying for) club.

2. Keep your objective to 2 sentences, or better yet, make do WITHOUT the objective. The discussion will almost always be on your qualities and how you see yourself progress in the next few years, so that can cover it.

3. Keep it to ONE page. Information such as height, weight, religion and nationality is irrelevant and  redundant. Also, there is no need to write about how in your second year in high school you performed as a tree in a play. Or that you are the prom king/queen. If you are an experienced agent, no need to write down your high school details. If you are a newbie, make a bullet list of the four (4) most relevant achievements you had in school.

4. Delete irrelevant work information. If you have a LOT of call center experience, just write down the four longest stints that you have. When asked on what you did during those lapses, you can mention that you worked for a few months in this particular company.

Photo by:  Michal Marcol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Says here you were once a hobbit? 

5. Be honest. Make sure you can back up what you write! There is no need to pad your resume with unnecessary information that may ultimately be the cause of your rejection.

6. Make a bulleted list for your skill sets and if possible, group together similar skills.

• Example:  Internet Navigation, Social Media Applications, Internet Research.

7. If your resume is "empty" or has a large gap at the bottom, try a bigger font size and play with the format. 

Double space if necessary.

Ok, not that much. 

8. Memorize. At least partially. There is no point in putting something in your resume that you can not recall in an interview. (see number 5.)

9. Paraphrase these terms if you plan to put it in your resume: 

•         Team Player -     Works well with others
•         Willing to learn - Adaptive to new situations
•         Hard Working -  Reliable
•         Problem Solver - Sees difficulties and provides solutions

10. Never forget to put your phone number, address and a professional email address. A professional email or "work email" usually contains your name and a dot (.), avoid using your high school email with a lot of underscores followed by numbers.

Wow. Just wow.

So those are my tips for that effective resume. Microsoft word has new templates that you can use. Feel free to delete sections that you do not think are necessary. Make it short but informative. What you write on your resume will be what you and your interviewer will talk about.

For other tips check this and this.

Got any other tips? Head over to the comments section or send me an email!