DFA Passport Renewal in Southern Philippines 2013

My scheduled flight was on October, and my passport is about to expire. One of the ruling is that you need to renew your passport 6 months prior to your departure. Its a pain in the ass when the immigration pull you off because you are carrying an expiring passport. To avoid this unfortunate event prior to your departure i list here the things and requirements needed for you to be able to renew your expiring passport and travel smoothly without the immigration hassle.

My Old Passport(left), New passport(right) sent via LBC

Here are the general requirements according to DFA's website: http://bit.ly/DFAPassportRenewal

FOR RENEWAL OF PHILIPPINES PASSPORT APPLICANTS 

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

• Personal appearance         
• Confirmed appointment         
• Duly accomplished application form – may be downloaded from the DFA website, www.dfa.gov.ph
• No need to submit a passport size photo
• Most recent expiring or expired passport
• Valid picture IDs and supporting documents to prove identity. (Please refer to List of Acceptable IDs and List of Supporting Documents)

Those the things needed in DFA Metro Manila. The situation in Mindanao and Cebu is a bit different. Here are requirements at DFA Cagayan De Oro:

1. Personal appearance
2. 2 Valid ID's
3. Old/expiring passport
4. Renewal Application form(to be fill in)
5. Photocopy of your old/expiring passport
6. Payment PhP 1280 (10 days rush), PhP 950 (20 days)

Process:

1. Pull in line as much as 3AM! (YEAH HEARED IT RIGHT!)
2. Make sure you have all the requirements i stated above.
3. Wait for 7:30AM until the guards will release the forms.
4. Fill up the forms, make sure you reviewed the ones important ei Old Passport Numbers.
5. At exactly 8:00 AM, the first batch will be called! 
6. Remember, if you were able to get there first, you should be on the first 50 customers
7. Second batch, if you are unlucky, would be called around 11am!(i was unlucky!)
8. Your names are to be called by the security guards.
9. Relax and find a seat.
10. Listen to the speaker when your name is called, jump up! hahahaha Finally!
11. You will present the requirements stated above. 
12. If your passport is about to expire 6 months, then most probably the teller wont cancel your passport until you receive the new one. 
13. Pay at the cashiers window for passport renewal, you will be ask if are you gonna pay for a regular or rush, Php 950 and PhP 1280.00.. Of course i choose PhP 1280 for 10 working days. 
14. Get your receipt as well as the requirements being assessed and present those at the ID Validation cubicle.
15. Finally,Wait for your name to be called for picture taking and review of information. 

While waiting for my name to be called, DFA Cagayan De Oro City.

South East Asia Backpacking Tours Plan

Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Bangkok, Vientiane, Hanoi in 15 days.

Ok, so this is my route on my upcoming journey to Mainland Asia. What do you think about this? Click the image to get a closer look of the map.

Itinerary:

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)  -2 nights and  3 days
Phnom Penh - 1 night and 1 day
Siem Reap - 1 night and 1 day
Bangkok - 2 nights and 3 days
Vientianne - 1 night and 1 day
Hanoi - 2 nights and 3 days.

Exclusion - 3 days on travel (bus/train)

Total Travel Days - 15

Estimated Daily Budget - (to be determined)
Hotels - 400 PhP per night (cheapest)

Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2013

Backpacker's Prayer

"Heavenly father, look down on us as your humble, obedient backpackers, who are doomed to travel this earth, taking photographs, mailing post cards, buying souvenirs and walking around in drip dry underwear.

Give us this day Divine guidance in the selection of our hotels, that we may find our reservations honored, our rooms made up, and hot water in the faucets.

We pray that the telephones work and the operators speak our tongue

Discovering Kuala Lumpur Malaysia - A Filipino Travelers Perspective Part A

KL at night, seen from KL Tower. KL Trip 2013 Filipino Blog [click to enlarge]

Along the way...I've learned a little Malay ..Something to boast? LOL.. Crazy! hahaha.  Bagaimana akan anda pembaca? It means... "How are you readers?" haha.. Ok i hope you’re doing well. Good to know that! hehe. Welcome to Kuala Lumpur! It is one of the busiest and most populous cities in Malaysia. The sun rises at around 8am and sets at 8pm. Temperature? i think it must be something around 32-34 degrees. So hot! Don’t forget your sunscreen... Working time is flexible according to my friend who works there for quite some time. Some businesses start at 7am; some open at 9am, so when your body clock wakes you up at 6am then go back to sleep. It’s too early.... :)

First Impression

The people are approachable; the foods are great and yummy! The roads are wider. The environment is diverse, rare faces, cultures and religion. Less rubbish in the metro, they had MRTs; lots of sanctuaries, tourists are will be guided. There is lots of idyllic scenery, especially for photography.

Cheap Hotels

We booked at Mayview Glory Hotel at No 100 & 101, Jalan Pudu Lama, 50200 Kuala, Lumpur, which is next to Menara Maybank. We stayed for two nights there for RM 36.7 per night/person. In the Philippines, the room might cost like 1500 PhP or more. Eventually, they give us a very huge room good for four people. The location is ultimately at the heart of KL. Department stores and shopping centers are just a walk away. Furthermore, the hotel has a travel agency at the lobby which offers travel package deals inside and outside KL.

View from our room at Jalan Pudu Lama, KL.  [Click to enlarge]