I experienced the agony of renewing my passport when I applied at DFA-Clark last February 4. I did not mind at all the long queue in the application process and the payment. I was prepared for that. The whole process up to the payment, I do not question at all. I felt relieved when I got my receipt with stamp “RELEASE ON FEB. 17, 2009, 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M.” Two weeks for “express” or “overtime” release of passport at P750.00. I was told that the regular price is P500 but the release will be on February 23.
On February 17 at 2:00 P.M., I went there personally to get my passport and saw a long line at the releasing section. I learned that the first in line was there as early as 11 A.M. At 3:15, the line has not moved a single. The man in charge has not given any reason why no one was allowed inside the releasing office. The long wait kept everybody guessing why. Then, the man came out again with a list in his hands. He approached each and every person in line to see if their names are on the list. It would have been faster and convenient had he used a sound system to read the names of “successful claimants”, instead of approaching us one by one.
There was a confusion because the man was carrying a list of names with “undelivered” passports. Meaning, if your name is on the list, you have to come back on another date. As to when, you have to call on the number given by the man (as posted on the entrance). It took the man another hour to finally advise all those in line on whether their passports are available for release or not. Sad face, happy face… they all mixed in the dimly lit and very humid and dirty waiting area. My question is what if you paid for an “express” fee and your passport is not released on schedule? Will DFA reimburse you the overtime fee that you paid? Huge unrefunded money.
The long hours of waiting made me observe the premises of the DFA. The waiting room is spacious but very untidy and disorderly. At the main entrance, you can see several notices (printed and in handwriting) of different services offered by private travel agencies and couriers, items for sale, public notices, etc. that have been posted indiscriminately and badly clattered the glass divider. It literally looked like a graffiti board without any artistic value. The different food stores and shops inside the building and the waiting area are disorganized also and do not keep their immediate vicinities clean and tidy. The building is literally dirty. I did not see even one utility worker in uniform doing the rounds of cleaning the premises. I just saw one teenager in white shirts, maong pants and house slippers collecting garbage from trash cans and another boy collecting bottles and cans. Does it mean that DFA-Clark has no janitorial services or utility workers in their employ? Or is it true that these employees are mere 15-30 employees that you only see during payday?
And the main entrance is full of garbage everywhere consisting of cans, plastics, papers, and cigarette butts thrown by the throngs of undisciplined Pinoys (do they do this while working abroad?). The guard on duty did not mind at all. He himself was seen smoking and throwing his cigarette butt right in front of the entrance door. The lousy ways he manned his post complemented his lousy uniform. And no, he does not know how to greet people. I realized this is not a mall, a restaurant or a bank where every personnel would greet you with a smile. This is public service.
Not only is the building untidy. It is also dimly lit. Out of the 42 florescent lamps and 72 spotlights in the waiting area, barely 8 are working that hardly illuminated the place. Is DFA-Clark saving on electricity? The electric fans are also dirty, as if not have been cleaned for years. The ventilation is also inadequate. DFA is surely earning a lot from the application fees. The ordinary people who troop to this office deserve some kind of comfort and effective processing procedure. They are mostly OFWs and those wishing to have jobs abroad who bring wealth to the economy; as compared to those who can afford the services of travel agencies to secure their passports without sweat and who later on go to other countries as tourists, spending their Philippine income abroad.
Going back to the release of my passport, I was comforted when I was informed that my name is not on the list of undelivered passports. I thought that I can enter the releasing area immediately. But, no. Those who are lucky were required to wait for another 15 minutes before proceeding to the Releasing Area. Alas! At 4:20, I got my new brown passport. But instead of being happy, I left the DFA-Clark with a heavy heart.
On February 17 at 2:00 P.M., I went there personally to get my passport and saw a long line at the releasing section. I learned that the first in line was there as early as 11 A.M. At 3:15, the line has not moved a single. The man in charge has not given any reason why no one was allowed inside the releasing office. The long wait kept everybody guessing why. Then, the man came out again with a list in his hands. He approached each and every person in line to see if their names are on the list. It would have been faster and convenient had he used a sound system to read the names of “successful claimants”, instead of approaching us one by one.
There was a confusion because the man was carrying a list of names with “undelivered” passports. Meaning, if your name is on the list, you have to come back on another date. As to when, you have to call on the number given by the man (as posted on the entrance). It took the man another hour to finally advise all those in line on whether their passports are available for release or not. Sad face, happy face… they all mixed in the dimly lit and very humid and dirty waiting area. My question is what if you paid for an “express” fee and your passport is not released on schedule? Will DFA reimburse you the overtime fee that you paid? Huge unrefunded money.
The long hours of waiting made me observe the premises of the DFA. The waiting room is spacious but very untidy and disorderly. At the main entrance, you can see several notices (printed and in handwriting) of different services offered by private travel agencies and couriers, items for sale, public notices, etc. that have been posted indiscriminately and badly clattered the glass divider. It literally looked like a graffiti board without any artistic value. The different food stores and shops inside the building and the waiting area are disorganized also and do not keep their immediate vicinities clean and tidy. The building is literally dirty. I did not see even one utility worker in uniform doing the rounds of cleaning the premises. I just saw one teenager in white shirts, maong pants and house slippers collecting garbage from trash cans and another boy collecting bottles and cans. Does it mean that DFA-Clark has no janitorial services or utility workers in their employ? Or is it true that these employees are mere 15-30 employees that you only see during payday?
And the main entrance is full of garbage everywhere consisting of cans, plastics, papers, and cigarette butts thrown by the throngs of undisciplined Pinoys (do they do this while working abroad?). The guard on duty did not mind at all. He himself was seen smoking and throwing his cigarette butt right in front of the entrance door. The lousy ways he manned his post complemented his lousy uniform. And no, he does not know how to greet people. I realized this is not a mall, a restaurant or a bank where every personnel would greet you with a smile. This is public service.
Not only is the building untidy. It is also dimly lit. Out of the 42 florescent lamps and 72 spotlights in the waiting area, barely 8 are working that hardly illuminated the place. Is DFA-Clark saving on electricity? The electric fans are also dirty, as if not have been cleaned for years. The ventilation is also inadequate. DFA is surely earning a lot from the application fees. The ordinary people who troop to this office deserve some kind of comfort and effective processing procedure. They are mostly OFWs and those wishing to have jobs abroad who bring wealth to the economy; as compared to those who can afford the services of travel agencies to secure their passports without sweat and who later on go to other countries as tourists, spending their Philippine income abroad.
Going back to the release of my passport, I was comforted when I was informed that my name is not on the list of undelivered passports. I thought that I can enter the releasing area immediately. But, no. Those who are lucky were required to wait for another 15 minutes before proceeding to the Releasing Area. Alas! At 4:20, I got my new brown passport. But instead of being happy, I left the DFA-Clark with a heavy heart.
