My sister and her father in law were at the Department of Foreign Affairs office this morning to process passports as well as claim a renewed passport, respectively.Her father in law was about to pay for newly applied passports when they heard a loud sound similar to a fired gun, but was actually a man who broke the glass of window #7. The cashier had to close on the paying public as matters may become worse due to the said incident. My sister on the other hand was caught in between people she did not know due to a semi-stampede that happened. All people who had gotten afraid rushed to go outside the building.
It took twenty minutes before the police came along with ABS CBN people. The security guard from DFA did not even cuff the man saying that they do not have any hand cuffs. When the police came, the man was escorted towards the patrol car, business resumed at DFA in the afternoon.
So what triggered the man to do what he has done? According to the people who was near window #7, the man presented all his requirements but was told that by the employee at DFA that he still lacked one of the requirements. The man, who showed him the list given by the office complained that he has brought everything that was listed, so he should not have missed any one of them. But he was brushed off by the employee, thus, out of frustration, he smashed the window.
Hmm. I was not there, my sister was not near enough, so we do not really know for sure what could have transpired. But there were lots of hear-says and rumors that the employee at window #7 is such a pain in the neck. Some of the people in the semi-stampede even related other incidents where friends and their relatives were also given a difficult time by this said employee. One person in the crowd said that a cousin who is supposed to leave for Canada, lost a job opportunity because the employee at window #7 gave her a difficult time. The cousin lacked, according to the employee, her baptismal certificate. That and that alone, which, according to the list of requirements, are simply
Other Supporting Documents
Please bring the following if they are available.
- Marriage Contract
- Land Title
- Driver's License
- Government Service Record
- School Form 137 or Transcript of Records with dry seal
- Other documents that show full name and birth details of applicant and/or citizenship
- Voter's Registration Record from COMELEC Intramuros
- Baptismal Certificate with dry seal
- Seaman's Book
- Income Tax Return (Old)
- NBI Clearance
In other words, they are simply listed as "other".. The main requirements are NSO Birth Certificate and original Valid ID, and Certified True Copy of Birth Certificate (Certified True Copy (CTC) of BC issued by the Local Civil Registrar with dry seal if BC SECPA is unreadable) and of course, Marriage Certificate of Parents in SECPA. For full list of requirements, CLICK HERE.
This is quite sad, what happened today. In other countries, there is a system that is followed and only one instruction is relayed. Here in the Philippines, the process of application for passports, even professional license and many others, are taken to be so complicated. Mainly because there is no uniform instruction from employees. Different windows have different characters attending people who are confused and frustrated about the kind of service and system that we have here. Some are too strict, while others are approachable and friendly. And I wonder why. Yeah, why are some employees hard on people for a passport? Isn't that reason enough why some people resort to those midnight market for passports? I think that that is a reason too. Aside of course for those who have records that do not allow them to legally get a passport.
While in Singapore, I have met and been to their government offices because of my uncle's business. He is now a Singaporean and why he likes Singapore better than the Philippines, is the fact that Filipinos are not treated properly here. In Singapore, they are very strict with their laws. Their rules and regulations are strictly followed and citizens, residents as well as visitors will really get what they deserved according to the law, should any rule be broken. Whether rich or poor, the rules apply. But here's the thing, they may be very strict, but they never cause frustrations and I have not heard anyone getting angry at the government. Why? Because people there are satisfied with how service is conducted, regardless from the government or the private.
Why can't we be like them?? I guess it's because we have lots of unhappy workers in the government., or even in private offices. One unhappy person affects everything. It's a domino effect.
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