5 Important Tips When Applying for Philippine Passports in DFA

I noticed that my post How to Cancel Appointment in DFA for Philippine Passport Application is attracting a lot of visitors lately. Many of the readers of that post complained about not receiving their confirmation code and not able to cancel their appointment with the DFA.

I believe that many of the problems cited by commenters may be avoided by doing the following 5 tips when applying or renewing Philippine passport at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA):

1. Use Gmail or Yahoo Mail E-mail Address

The DFA website warns the public that their Passport Appointment System don’t work with email addresses hosted by Hotmail, Live, MSN, and Outlook. Using these email addresses means that you will not receive email confirmation of your passport appointment.

DFA recommends passport applicants to use Gmail or Yahoo! accounts when applying or renewing their passport.

2. Avoid Passport Appointment Cancellation

Getting a schedule with the DFA is very difficult because of so many applicants vying for a slot. There were reports that some passport applicants can only get a slot that was scheduled three months in the future.

Treat your appointment schedule like gold. Cancel unnecessary plans that fall on the date of your appointed schedule. Keep in mind that it is hard to get a new schedule. Canceling your appointment is also difficult since DFA’s Passport Appointment System is running into many problems.

3. Make Sure that You Type-in the Right Information

Incorrect information typed in the online forms of the Passport Appointment System is a big no-no. A commenter in my post said that he mistakenly put female as his gender. Others mistakenly spelt their name.

Making a mistake in the Passport Appointment System is not the end of the world, however. You can still correct it when you go to the DFA. Just tell the DFA clerk to correct the wrong information.

 4. NEVER Misspell Your Email Address

This is the worst mistake that you can do while processing your appointment in the Passport Appointment System. DFA sends a confirmation email and the forms that you need when applying or renewing your passport. Wrong email address means that you will not receive DFA’s email and it means that you can never go to the DFA process your passport.

5. Re-Schedule Instead of Cancelling Your Appointment

There are events, like a very important meeting, that will prevent you from going to the DFA for your appointment. If this happens, I suggest that you better schedule your appointment with the DFA instead of canceling it. A commenter to my post said that she was able to re-schedule her passport appointments three times and she got her passport after that.

Do you have questions about applying or renewing your Philippine passport with the DFA? Post those questions and your experiences at the comment box below.  Make sure that you use a Google account so that you can receive my replies to your email.

More tips? Read about the Acceptable IDs for DFA Passport Application

Also read How to Renew Your Philippine Passport
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Jollibee Party Package Price for 2016

What is the price of holding a birthday party in Jollibee? --- This is the big question that I received from Moms and Dads who want to give their child an amazing Jollibee party. Maybe, that is your question too.

Don’t fret Mommies and Daddies, here are the list of Jollibee party package price for 2016:

1. Jollibee Party Fee

The party fee of 1,250 pesos is included to the Jollibee party package price. It is like the minimum amount that Jollibee requires for the Jollibee party to push through.

The party fee includes these party items:

You will get 20 game prizes, 10 boxes of crayons, 1 message board, and 30 balloons. The appearance of Jollibee is also included in the party fee. Of course you can add more of these party favors if you want.

2. Jollibee Party Food Packages

Jollibee has four standard food packages for the Jollibee party. Here is the price .the menu for each food package:

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Of course, you can add more Jollibee food items as you please.

3. Birthday Cake for Jollibee Party

A birthday party is never complete without a cake! So Jollibee offers cakes from Red Ribbon your child’s special occasion. Medium-sized cake costs 900 pesos while the large-sized cake costs 1,100 pesos.

How much is Jollibee Party Package Price for 2016?

Assuming that you will only have 30 persons attending your child’s birthday party and also assuming that you didn’t add any party favor, mascot, and Jollibee food item; your Jollibee party will cost from 6,530 pesos to 8,980 pesos.

Is the cost of Jollibee party package for 2016 OK or not? Is it expensive? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

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How to Apply for NBI Clearance Online

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) finally activated the much needed upgrade in the processing of NBI clearance. That upgrade is transferring most of the procedures online.

I just discovered this new procedure when I applied for an NBI clearance this month. I was told that I don’t need to go to NBI office and suffer the usual “pila”. All I have to do is to visit the NBI website and set a schedule for the processing of NBI clearance.

I’m cynical that this new system actually works. (actually, I’m always cynical when it comes to the Philippine government). I was proven wrong because I processed and got my NBI clearance with minimal inconvenience.

Here is the step-by-step process that I did to apply for an NBI clearance online:

NOTE: The procedures in this post are for those who will use the Online NBI Clearance system for the first time.

Step 1: Go to the NBI Clearance website.

Step 2: Fill-up the application for First Timer or New Applicant in the right side of the NBI Clearance website. Click the “I Accept Terms of Service” and the “Sign Up” button after you filled up all the required details.

First Timer or New Applicant sign up form on the right side of the NBI website.

Step 3: Click “I Agree” on the “Acceptance of Terms and Conditions” pop-up that will appear.

Step 4: Fill-up the required information in the online NBI clearance form in the next page. Click “Save Information” button once done.

Step 5: Click on the “Apply for Clearance” in the next page that will appear.

Step 6: In the pop-up that will appear,  choose “Renew” if you are renewing your NBI clearance. Type in the ID that you will use when claiming your NBI clearance. Click the “I Agree” button.

Step 7: Click “Okay” to the reminder that will appear next.

Step 8: Select the NBI branch and the date when you want to process your NBI clearance. You are required to personally appear at the NBI office for biometrics and picture-taking. Also, select the purpose and the details of your NBI clearance application.

Finally, you have to choose one of the following payment options: (1) Banks, over the counter, (2) Banks, online, (3) Mobile payment, and (4) Bayad Center. I chose the first option when I applied for the renewal of my NBI clearance.

Step 9: Read the reminders and then click “Proceed to Payment”

Step 10: Choose the bank where you want to pay the NBI clearance renewal fee. You can choose from the following banks: (1) Metrobank, (2) BPI, and (3) BDO.

I chose Metrobank because they don’t charge any service fee. BPI charges 50 pesos service fee while BDO charges 25 pesos.

You’re successful in doing this step when you receive a confirmation email from NBI/DragonPay.

Step 11: Follow the payment instructions and then pay the specified NBI clearance fee. Keep the deposit slip or the payment slip because you will need it later when you go to the NBI office. Click on the confirmation link emailed to you by NBI/DragonPay and confirm your payment.

Payment confirmation form by DragonPay.

Step 12: Go to NBI branch on your appointed schedule. Show your deposit slip or payment slip and have your photo taken and then fingerprinting.

Step 13: Pickup your NBI clearance at the NBI office on the date given to you during your fingerprinting.

These are all the steps that you must follow. They are quite plenty but they are easy to follow. In fact, I am so glad that NBI improved their system. I didn’t experience any hassle because I only spent less than 30 minutes waiting for the fingerprinting and photo capture.

NBI’s online clearance application system is a milestone to the agency. I hope that they continue to improve their system.

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