A few days ago me and Aaron went to the Department of Foreign Affairs or DFA to file for our Philippines passports. First time for Aaron to get a Philippine passport and a renewal Philippine passport for me. We’ve been wanting to go there since middle of last year, but didn’t get around to it until end of the year. We know we had to be there early, I mean really early even before the mall opened. Luckily now the DFA office here in Davao City located at the third floor of SM City Mall Matina, not too far from our house. Good thing that the office is inside the mall, so it’s not so hot inside the office anymore while waiting. So Aaron and I went there like around 9:30am just right before the mall opened.
We already went there last year to get the applications. We just want to get the application paper from the security guards. They were just handing out outside the door of the DFA office there. We didn’t even have to fall in line for that. Our purpose of going there to renew my passport since its already expired a long time ago ever since I was still living in the States. When it’s expired (around mid 1990’s) I just didn’t bother to get a renewal since I already had my US passport anyway. At that time the Philippines would not recognize the dual citizenship yet. They just passed the law on august of 2003.
So after we (me and the kids) got our dual citizenship here early last year, we then decided to get our Philippine passports. Since Aaron is going to the States this year, its good for us to get his Philippine passport for the first time. When the person at the DFA office explained the requirements to me for Aaron to do, he could tell I am cringing every time he’s explaining. Duh in short too many requirements to fulfill. Big Sigh. One of the requirements you have to fill the same papers (7 times) and have it notarized by the lawyer. Wow unbelievable… One of the requirements that will takes us long to get is the NSO birth certificate for Aaron. They will not bend down there, the applicant had to submit the NSO birth certificate. So any Filipina giving birth in the USA should report the birth of the kid to the nearest Philippine consulate office in your area. So that the kid will have records in the Philippines too. Easier to get any Philippine documents then especially passport after dual citizenship. Unfortunately none of my kids were reported of their birth to the Philippine Consulate Office after giving birth. I never knew and never had friends that reported the birth of their kids too as far as I know. I really wish to God we did. It will be all easier for us by now then.
The personnel at the DFA office told me that the processing for the reporting of the birth (NSO) since we are in the Philippines will take around 4-6 months. Wow, really long, but we don’t have a choice but to report it. My understanding when the personnel explain, they will send the papers again to the USA (at the consulate office there) for their records that the child was born there. Send it back to the NSO office here in the Philippines for verification and approval. At least the kid already has records both countries. Oh well just have to do what they requires us to do.
So reminder again Fil-Am friends: To please report your kids after giving birth in the USA to the nearest Philippine Consulate Office in your area. Some of you might want to get a dual citizenship of your kid. It will be easier to get the Philippine passport then.
Cheers!
Feyma and Aaron Sorry to hear about your experienced at the DFA. My husband and I just had our first child last year. We were wondering what we have to do since our family is planning to move back to the Philippines, so I went to the Philippine Consulate of Chicago website coz thats the closest Philippines Consulate into where we live and as I was scrolling around and reading, I read about if someone give birth here in the U.S it should have to let them inform/report and send them some documents for the future reference. So my husband and I are almost done to gather all the documents they need it. So that when the time comes and our son wants to get a Philippines Passport it won’t have a problem. But as of now since we’re still here in the U.S.A we decided to get him a U.S Passport.
Hi Rio Mazo Sisson – Yep, I’m not really looking forward on going back there again. But I know I have to.
Good that you’re going to register your child there. Much easier for you later then. I wish to God we did ours before. I never knew about it until we moved here. When we apply for our dual, we just pass the papers and everything was good. I didn’t really know that to get the Philippine passport I have so much things to get and do. Oh well, like we always says here in our house: “Welcome to the Philippines”. LOL
Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a great day!
Good looking Pic Aaron & Feyma Bayoy Martin
Thank you so much Neal. I really appreciate that.
Have a wonderful day!
Wake up Philippines, it’s 2014
Ha ha ha… For sure Stephen Warren.
Have a good day!
Feyma – I understand that the whole process is MUCH easier if done at the Consulate in the US, as opposed to here. Have you looked into that?
Hi John Weeks – That’s one of the option the personnel told me. To get it at the US consulate in the area near we lived before. So it’s going to be San Francisco for us. He told me it will take lesser time. Problem is only Aaron is going to the States. To apply for his passport he has to have one of his parent since he is under 18.So better for us to apply here. Hopefully it will be accomplish before his flight for the USA.
Thank you for sharing or your thoughts. Have a niceday!
Just a note to US citizens: If you have a child born in the Philippines, you should report the birth as soon as you can gather all the paperwork required. I did it when my daughter was 5 months old and got her US passport and Certificate of US Citizen Born Abroad very easily. The longer you wait, the more tedious the process becomes.
Hi Jeff Smith – Very good advice. Hope everyone will get the message what we re trying to say here.
Thank you so much for your comment. Have a great day!
Feyma,
We tried to register our son at Consulate in NYC a few months back. We were rejected because we had yet to register our marriage. We have now done that and will try again next month.
Hi Dirk – Good thing you started now. It will be frustrating later if it will drag on and on.
Good luck to you.
Cheers!
Me and my wife were former Filipino citizen, year 1970 when we became naturalized citizen of USA, a year or so later, three kids were born and raised in the USA. What I gather is that I must report it to the Philippine Consulate, I better start sending email, thanks for the info
Hi Raymundo Munoz Gavina – Yes, you better start now. Just in-case your kids wants to get their Philippine passport, then it will be easier for them. From the requirements alone to get the passport, it’s quite a long list. LOL.
Good luck to you. Have a great day!
I wish you all the luck and patience in the world if you have to deal with the NSO there, they make going to the BI office a picnic by comparison.
Come this March, we will have been waiting a year so far, just to get the NSO to sign the annulment papers to finalize the process that my fiance thought was finalized back in 2009, long before we ever met.
As I am sure you know, the Philippine Govt. does like to do redundant paperwork thats for sure.
Good luck Fema & Aaron!
Hi Bill S. – Thank you so much… Ha ha ha… We need all the luck in the world. :-). Hopefully we will get it soon than expected. Crossing my fingers.
Good luck on your annulment process. I’ve heard from a lot of people that annulment process takes time. Hope for the best for you too and your fiance.
Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful day!
Hey, that’s all a big hassle for you. Wouldn’t it be easier for him just to travel on a USA passport; to renew the one he traveled into the Philippines on?
Hi Jim Hannah – Yes we are doing that too, renew his US passport. But we also want him to have a Philippine passport too. Since he is a Philippine citizen also.
Cheers!
Sorry to hear that,As far I know even the married you need to submit to the nearest consulate or embassy if your married abroad so that the filipina had a record in the nso too , for example us all our document we forward it including our child that born abroad so that when we arrive here in pinas everything will be goes smoothly as in the Philippines everything slow:) , I know a lot of married couple they never submit anything yet meaning the filipina is still single.:))
Hi Onlygoodfellas Resto – Thank you for the heads up. Hopefully people now will be aware of all the requirements.To avoid the growling time spent in the government offices here.
I appreciate you stopping by here and leaving comment. Have a pleasant day!
Mrs Feyma,
Anne and Myself had to report our marriage in the Philippines when we got there since we were married in the US. It was a long process dealing with DFA, NSO, Commission on Filipino Overseas to get a Filipino Marriage Certificate and Annes name changed on her passport. If you can get it done at a Philippine Consulate in the US it would be best. I submitted paperwork for Permanent Resident in the Philippine Consulate Chicago. They said it would take 1-2 weeks to complete. Only took one day. Could not believe it. They are very friendly and cooperative there.
Hi PapaDuck – Very long process here. Honestly even the personnel there at DFA told me that it might be quicker to process in the States. Problem is Aaron is underage, so one of us his parent be with him when he process there since its the requirements in processing the passport that underage kids to have one of their parent be with them when applying. Wow, not going to work for us then, since not one of us going to travel with him there.
Are you guys back in the Philippines now? Hello to Anne. Always nice seeing you here PapaDuck. You guys take care! Have a great weekend ahead!
This one will drive you to drink!
http://backtobataan.weebly.com/2/post/2012/04/all-this-for-a-dog.html
Hi Feyma,
Good article and timely! By coincidence we are going to renew our two boys US passports today. I remember when my wife renewed her Filipino passport before she became a US citizen that we had to declare the births at the Filipino Embassy in Washington, DC. I found the Embassy there to be well run and efficient.
Separate question for you and/or Bob and I think I know the answer, but I will ask anyway. Did my wife lose her Filipino citizenship when she became a US citizen?
We will eventually probably seek dual citizenship for her and our boys both of whom were born by my wife while she was still not a US citizen. My understanding is that makes it easier. Is it better/easier to file for dual citizenship in the US or Philippines?
My co-worker wanted to file for dual citizenship here in the US because he wanted to retire in the Philippines. When he went to the Philippine consulate for his interview he was told that one of the requirements was for him to submit his birth certificate to prove that he was born in the Philippines. I asked him why not have somebody back in the Philippines get it for him and he said that he has to personally request and obtain the birth certificate himself because in the Philippines they won’t release it to anyone else except the owner of the birth certificate. And so he now has to go back to the Philippines and get his birth certificate which is an added hassle. For Filipinos thinking of becoming dual citizens in the future, be sure to get your birth certificate while you’re in the Philippines. This will save you a lot of time and expense in the future should you decide to obtain dual citizenship.
His information is incorrect. All he needs to do is order his birth certificate through the NSO website. It is very easy, and very quick.
Hi Heyma
My daughter was born February 2011 here in the Philippines and i got her US passport after her first birthday February 2012 and we still live here in the Philippines because her father (US citizen) passed away April 2012 in Hawaii, and we didn’t get a chance to see or visit his grave. Do i have to renew her US passport after 5 years even she never been traveled? And is it fine to get her a Philippine passport too?
Thanks and Godbless.