Early February Aaron and I went to Manila to process his US passport. A US embassy policy, after 16 years of age just one time, the person has to apply the passport at the Embassy in person. Before going there, we set an appointment on line at the US embassy for the best day for us to go there and give Aaron’s papers for the passport application. You need to get the online confirmation before going inside the embassy so that your time will not be wasted. The guard will not let you in inside the Embassy without the confirmation papers that you made an appointment on the day you go there to the Embassy. It makes sense so that both the person and the Embassy personnel will not be wasting time. Have the appointment confirmation paper printed and bring it along with your application papers.
When going inside the Embassy, if you are a US citizen you don’t have to go through the long lines to go inside. They have another door to go in when you’re a US citizen. Just tell the guard outside that you’re a US citizen, then they will direct you where to enter. Before entering the main building, you have to go through a thorough security check. They will have the x-ray for your belongings and just like at the airport that the person has to go through x-ray and a body pat from the guard. If you have electronic gadgets you have to leave that with the guard. They will have there trays to put your things together with your ID. Then they will give you a claim card when time for you to get your stuff. They really are strict on that. Like Aaron, he had with him on his backpack a small thumb drive. Aaron even forgot that it’s there inside of one of the backpack pocket. The lady told us to get the thumb drive out and put it on the tray. So we had to search the pockets of the backpack and hand the thumb drive to the lady to be put on the tray. No food allowed inside too. They had a snack area at the waiting area just before entering the door at the Embassy.
You can really see how thorough they are. An old lady ahead of us, she had a pretty good size carry on bag, with some clothing inside it looks like from our view. All of a sudden the x-ray lady told the old lady “Ma’am you had bullet on your bag please take it out and put on the tray together with your cellphone and other stuff”. Aaron looked at me and whispered what on earth that old lady do with the bullet? I just smiled at him and told him that the old lady might just came from a firing range and forgot to take out the bullet. I was just being funny to Aaron because he could not fathom an old lady with a bullet. We were giggling after that. Really I think that bullet was used for something else. In an old days some people will put something on an empty bullet. They called that here (habak). Its like to drive away bad spirit or sickness. It’s been along time since I’ve heard of it. That’s another post for me to make here.
Anyway, after passing the thorough check, the guard told us you where to go. He directed us to the entrance of the main building. They have there a waiting area designated for what type of processing you’re in there. Since we are for the US passport application we went to the area for the passport application and waited there until the door for the US passport applicant opened. While waiting for our 7:45 appointment, we bought some drinks just right across our seats. As soon as the 7:30 applicant got inside it didn’t take long for the 7:45 to get in too. It is just a matter of minutes. We went in like around 8 am or just minutes before that. Going inside you go through another check in line again just like in the airport. You showed the lady first your appointment confirmation. Without that you can’t get in. Then she will give you back the appointment paper with the stapled window number to where you will give the passport application, located at the second floor. Have to wait awhile for us since theirs 8 people ahead of us. It will take awhile each person because they will have to be checking the application thoroughly to make sure the application was properly filled.
When it’s our time, it supposed to be quick. But the picture of Aaron that we brought was the incorrect size. It’s not close up enough. The passport personnel thoroughly checked the rest of the papers and told us to get another set of pictures. He told us to go downstairs near the entrance. Luckily there is a Kodak place there and we don’t have to go outside the building. I didn’t even notice of the Kodak being there before when were sitting while waiting for us to get in. Just a few people were there waiting to have their picture taken. Really it just took us like 15 or 20 minutes at the most for us to get the new passport photo. We gave it to the passport personnel, we don’t have to get a number again, just hand the picture to that same personnel as long as he doesn’t have any client with him. If everything is good, he will direct you to pay at the cashier for the passport. He will also give some papers for the courier (Air 21) for you to coordinate and you pay there, it’s just a few feet away, near the cashier. Pay the Air 21 and just save your receipt.
Then, you go back to the sit near the window where you gave your application papers. He will give you another number for another window that you will go to. When your number will be called, the personnel there will ask a few questions, then its oath taking time. Then you’re done. The personnel will then tell you to wait approximately 3 weeks to get your passport. Really, Aaron just waited 13 days and the passport was delivered in our house.
So needed for US PASSPORT RENEWAL APPLICATION:
- US embassy confirmation appointment
- Old passport
- US birth certificate
- Passport photo (2 pcs, make sure its close up)
- Valid Id
- Money to pay the passport $135 in cash (U.S. dollars or in Philippine pesos equivalent of $135)
More info: Click the link below:
http://manila.usembassy.gov/service/passports/adultapplication.html
Good luck!
Glad to hear that Aaron is doing whats needed to travel on his US passport. I think ALL kids should get out and see the world. This will allow he to see whats out there.
Also funny to hear about the Habak Bullet. My first Wife was from Surigao and had a bullet tied into a sash that went around her waist. She said he kept the Aswang and Wak Wak’s away. Must have worked since I never saw one! She called it, habak nga sangod if I remember correctly. Not sure of the spelling.
Hi Tito Joe – Thank you so much. We want to let them see both culture and learn from it too.
When I was a young (grade school days) I’ve seen kids had habak in the bullet case. When I visit my hometown again lately, I didn’t see kids that wears habak anymore. Not sure if people nowadays don’t believe in it anymore. I am not familiar with that “habak nga sangod”. Maybe its different in every place.
Good to see you here again. Have a nice day!
Hi Feyma:
It all sounds pretty methodical and pretty thorough to me, that’s how the U.S. government works. As long as you follow instructions and have all your stuff together, it’s as simple as counting one, two, three. I just had my U.S. passport renewed by mail. I paid $110, but I am not comparing it with Aaron who he had to appear in person and pay $135 because his circumstances are different from mine.. I received the new passport in 2 weeks by mail, and the old passport a couple of days later. I will be traveling to Virginia for personal errands tomorrow, and while there, to Washington, D.C. to renew my Philippine passport at the Philippine Embassy there. I have to appear in person, and the fee is $60. Not exactly looking forward to having to move my car from one parking space to another around the Embassy block every two hours to avoid getting a parking ticket. LOL
The “bullet” in the lady’s backpack that you called “habak” is called anting-anting in Tagalog. Its worn around the neck, or kept in your person, to protect you from harm, according to Philippine folklore. Good article, Feyma. Thanks.
Hi John – It sure nice seeing how thorough they are there at the US embassy. I agree with you, if all paperwork’s are correct, everything will get done quickly in the US government. I already expect that we paid a bit more here for renewal passport than you guys there. Aaron did had his passport in less than 2 weeks, which really impressed us.
Hey, good luck on your Philippine passport renewal. I guess I had to renew mine pretty soon here. Which I am not looking forward to it. LOL.
Some folks here in Mindanao called it anting-anting too. I thought both the habak and anting-anting were Bisaya words. Ha ha ha… Growing up with so many different dialects really messes us up here sometimes. Ha ha ha. But thanks for the info though.
Always good to see you here. Have a great day. Cheers!
Enjoyed your article Feym..I also remembered my late mama wearing empty bullet as habak..same think we call it in Camiguin….. I am glad you didnt have trouble with getting your son’s passport…
Hi Perla – Thank you so much. I’m glad you enjoyed my post. I guess my mom was not a habak fanatic though. None of us kids wears habak as I remembered.
US passport renewal was pretty easy, the Philippine passport renewal were a bit more challenging for me. It still quite a ways to go for me on that. Big sigh… Sus nalang jud oi.
Thank you for stopping by here Perla. Really good to see you here. God bless!
Good article, informative with important and useful information presented in a quick read format. Salamat Po!
Hi James – Thank you so much. So happy you enjoyed my post.
Keep reading and commenting here. So happy to see you guys sharing your thoughts here.
Cheers!
I have always had excellent experiences whenever I’ve had to visit the US Embassy in Manila. They have been helpful and very cooperative each time I’ve visited.
Hi Jerome – That’s good to hear. Yep we did too.
Nice seeing you here. Thank you so much for dropping by!
Very helpful read! Thank you!
Thank you so much Az Ma Taz. I really appreciate your comment.
Regards!
Hi Feyma,
Now, this is a neat, descriptive writing for sure, a bird’s-eye view of someone making that trip to Manila for that building, the US Embassy. Maybe to process or acquire a US passport or the interview, I could imagine every Filipinos coming from all nooks and crannies of Philippine provinces has to get on a special trip to Manila for the Embassy and their very first feeling of being “stateside” is about to start once when inside the building. I “sensed” it!
I was 15 or 16 years old straight from the province when I came to the US Embassy myself for the passport paperworks/interview in Manila, which happens to be my very first time of Manila, too. For me, that was a big deal then for a Visayan boy like me, just to see Manila. At that time, the song “Manila” was a big time hit already, a catchy tune, by a band called Hotdog, it was all over the radio.
Besides the neighboring barrios, I have not been outside of my barrio except maybe to town to accompany my provincial aunt at the palengke. For the life of me, I didn’t exactly remember how that went through in the Embassy, when getting on that whole experience. It was our oldest sister and my city aunt (whose house we stayed/lived in during this time in Manila), they were the ones who did all the transactions and all the talking, where me and my 3 siblings were just tagging alongside with them. But I do remember though getting another photos for our passports because the person in the Embassy said that the older photos was not good or something.
Thank you, Feyma. I enjoyed reading your article!
Hi Aklan Heat – Thank you so much. It was a good description of what you’ve said for the first time visitor there. The way they handle the first time applicant of any visas nowadays are way better than I experienced before, in my opinion. It’s a bit chaotic before, every applicant had to enter same door, so its always jammed pack. Unlike now, they had more workers now that were guiding the applicants.
So many people here can relate of your story. A province kid going to Manila for the first time. I for one. I went to Manila at about same age as you. Fresh grad from high school. At that aged, I went there to study, but I didn’t like it. Too traffic and too many people for my liking. So I went to Cebu instead.
Yep, picture for the passport should have a close up photo of your face. They have a requirement for that. Better follow because the personnel at the counter will not accept the photo if its not the proper size.
I really appreciate your comments here. Thank you so much for sharing. Always good to see you here. Have a wonderful day!
Feyma, in USA, used to be one entrance for the wahite , one entrace for the black until the sixties,this is called decrimination in all the countries and aparthaid in some others.I find is a desgrace the filipinos tolerete it, and hope the filipino embassy in washinton pays them with the same morny.Have a nice day.
Great article. Thanks for the info, you made it easy to understand. BTW, if anyone needs to fill out a Passport Renewal Application form, I found a blank form here http://goo.gl/ufYLte. This site PDFfiller also has some tutorials on how to fill it out and a few related forms that you might find useful.