Getting Cassie Her Philippine Passport

Proud Baby! 

On August 27, 2015 we went to DFA to get Cassie her passport and exactly 5 weeks from the filing we got Cassie's passport in the mail!  This is an info-blog based from our experience and I hope this helps. 

I was told by a friend that in order to get an NSO for a newborn (which is one of the requirements to file for a passport) one has to wait for at least 6 months. For whatever reasons that I do not know, this information I got from her kept me in a bind because DFA itself has delays in processing and releasing passports. We are looking forward to an international trip in November. 

Around the third week of August, I kindly asked my mom to process Cassie's NSO and claim her Baptismal Certificate on my behalf since I had to work. It all went well and I was so surprised that my mom was able to get Cassie's NSO in just one day. I really didn't expect that. I cant give you any info on the NSO process but she just presented Cassie's photocopy of Registered Live Birth together with my Authorization Letter and photocopy of IDs and she was good to go. 

This link  gives you the documents that you  need bring to the  DFA. I'd suggest that you compile all the needed requirements in one envelop for a smoother transaction.  

My mom suggested that we get an agency to process Cassie's passport; she might have thought that doing so will expedite or override the processing time frame (which we're really scared if we can make it). She said her friend can do it for 2500. I think it is a ridiculous idea because no 1, all the agency really does is submit your requirements and you still have to go through  the line and go through all the process. There is in fact no difference and you pay them around 1000 pesos for.... nothing.  We just paid 1050 for Cassie's passport and a small fee for LBC to mail the passport to us instead of going back to the office after 6 to 7 weeks. 

We counted the weeks of  possible waiting time and if you follow the 3 additional weeks,
we would've gotten Cassie's passport on the third week of October

We refuse to go through the agency and went there ourselves knowing that MINORS or BABIES obviously will be prioritized. And we were. It was my first time to visit the new DFA office and it was really good I was impressed! It is clean, it looks honorable, it is organized except for one thing, their express lane wasn't the most efficient lane at all. While we were waiting in line, I could see that the normal lane moved faster than the priority lane. What a joke! 

Daddy has to hold her still for the picture taking while Mama kept her focus
on the camera by letting her look at it. She is too cute! She is all blue! aha!

But really, I was happy that we didn't have to pay extra though it took us about 3 hours which is way longer that I expected.  BOO! I was happy to see Cassie being photographed for her first ever ID and passport! She looked so adorable that she won the heart of the DFA Officer who took her picture.

October 1, 2015. While she was eating her dinner a mail came in!! Cassie is officially flying to Hongkong! 

I guess she realized what it was??

She's checking her very first mail.