License Renewal

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Last week, I took a leave off work and renewed my driver’s & PRC license. I decided to renew my PRC license first because I knew that it would take more time than the driver’s so off I went to the PRC office in Morayta. Upon entering the gate, there would be a table there manned by two ladies giving out the necessary application forms. So I asked for a license renewal form for ECE, the lady said it should be for conversion from ECE to Electronics Engineer. Yes I heard about that before but why the need for converting from Electronics & Communications to plain Electronics? I didn’t ask the lady about that in the hopes that I could finish early. In the form given me were the procedures & requirements: 2pcs passport size photos in white background with name tag (for registration form and oath taking form), 1pc 1x1 photo in white background with name tag, 2 metered documentary stamps (for registration form and oath taking form), short brown envelope, recent community tax certificate (cedula). Conveniently, all were readily available at PRC so I just bought the needed things there. And so I had my picture taken, unfortunately they only do 1 size of photos at a time. So if you need 2 different sizes, they’ll charge you double (70 per set so that’s 140 pesos for 2 sets), all because of a limitation in the software they use. I also bought the other requirements plus a tube of paste (the kind you used while you were in preschool) of which I only used less than a pea sized amount. I lined up for the cedula, the guy issuing it writes 5.50 pesos on the cedula but charges 6 pesos for it, and neatly stamped across the front UNEMPLOYED, but none of the people lining up were asked if they were indeed unemployed. Next I lined up at Window J to get the metered documentary stamps. Quite a long line I must say. Then a guy working for PRC came told the people at the back of the line (even looking at me directly) that we can also get the stamps at Window 5. So off we went to Window 5. Still a long line, but not as long as in Window J. Anyway when my turn arrived, the guy in Window 5 said that he can give me a doc stamp for the oath taking form but not on the registration form, and I have to line up at Window J for that. Wow. Galing. Well I had no choice but to line up again on Window J. When it was finally my turn, the girl printed a stamp on the oath taking form and gave me something like a receipt for the stamp on the registration form. The receipt was issued not by the PRC but the savings and loans association of PRC. And the stamp itself says 15 pesos, not 21 pesos as we have paid. I then lined up at Window 16 to have my documents assessed. Another incredibly long line. My papers were assessed, and I was told to proceed to the cashier (another long line) to pay the dues which amounted to 1,380 pesos if I remember it correctly. Even if it has a penalty fee for expired license (mine has expired November last year), I think it still was too much. The cashier made a breakdown of the dues, labeled only as A and I and something else I cant remember. I have no idea what any of those stood for. Didn’t ask, just want to get it done. Went back to Window 16 to pass everything. Long line. Again. My turn, gave all requirements. Then the clerk said I have to notarize the document first before I pass it to her. I read the process form several times in the course of the day because there’s nothing else to do while in line for hours and it doesn’t say anywhere there that I have to have it notarized. The girl directed me to the 2nd floor in the Legal Department. Fortunately, she also said that I should just hand it back to her and I wouldn’t need to go back in line once I have it done. Good! I went to the 2nd floor, didn’t find the Legal Dept, a security guard said it was in the new building, went there, had it notarized and paid 40 pesos for it, went back to Window 16. Unfortunately, a different clerk was there now. So I had to line up again. Thank God it was much shorter now. Everything was in order, the clerk gave me the claim stub with which I can pick up my new license in about a month. I still had the 1x1 photos that was stated in the requirement, the clerk said it wasn’t needed, but I’d need another passport size photo, so I submitted another one. So I was cheated of 70 pesos worth of photos. Anyway, all that transpired from 10am to around 1pm. Kakapagod!

After that I went to Robinson Metro East to have my driver’s license renewed as well. Read the requirement posted outside the LTO satellite office, got an application form, then paid for the medical exam and drug test at the test center next door. Proceeded to have the necessary exams, and filled up their form. Though I was already done, I didn’t pass it yet because I knew it would take about an hour for the results to be released. Anyway after about just 5 minutes, I decided to pass the form and just wait for the results. To my surprise, it was already done. So I went back to the LTO office, submitted the application form as well as the documents from the medical & drug testing center. Had my picture taken and all that. Then the duty officers called on me and asked if I needed to have my address in the license changed. I said yes as I have written the new address in the application form. He asked if it was alright to not have it changed since they have already processed it. I wouldn’t want the process to go all over again and wait longer so I decided that it was ok to have the old address there. The driver’s license renewal took me about an hour total. So that was my license renewal day.

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Posted by Paul and Toni

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