I couldn’t believed my eyes when I learned that my passport has expired since June, last year. I only realized it while trying to find my old bank statements tracking down my horrible credit spending. The drawers was full of old sunglasses, sony mini-disc player, some old wallets & pictures of people I can no longer remember names.

The fook with expired passport is that, I am now again obliged to visit the KONSULADO NG PILIPINAS - HK to renew it. Consider yourself lining up, filling up forms, seeing Mr Security Guard turned Mr Application Form Reception, Ms Window #3, Mr Dollar Fees and Ms-pahiram-ng-ballpen (Do you have a pen?). It’s like a Wow Wow Wee game show from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao speaking to each other in their own tongue. With this in mind, I started to feeling the pressure.

The Consulate is located across the road where I work. I went there the other day to collect the form and to find out their opening hours & requirements for renewal. Mr Reception Guy was not around so the pinay waiting for the lift pointed her lip towards the table where the form can be found. The fees has gone up like hell and I have to pay $425 worth of 32 pages including 3 passport size pictures. FOTO-ME shots were disqualified at this time. Pictures should not be over three months old, meaning I need to produce a new set, say goodbye to my favourite passport picture that I’d kept (God knows I look good on that!) will no longer be valid.

Photos, except in cases of Travel Documents, must be taken during plain white background showing applicant’s face and prominent features. Photos should show applicants in decent attire, with sleeves and collar. Applicants maybe allowed to wear eyeglasses provided the eyes are distinctly shown. Women are not allowed to wear veil except in cases of Muslims and nuns. Long hair and earning are not allowed fro men. Photos taken at the MTR or Photo-Me are not acceptable.

Meanwhile, when someone think of the Consulate, I picture the people who works there, most of them women, are a bunch of bitches, one should not expect a nice treatment. They think you easily get scared at them when asked “anong trabaho mo dito sa HK” (what’s your job in HK?).

On the positive side, the Consulate has changed dramatically. Eversince the office was moved to a lot spacious floor, it turned out acceptably a decent office. I would say, about time our Kababayans should feel extra comfy while waiting for their papers to be “meron ng chopped, ok na yan, punta ka na sa Window #5 at bayaran mo na lang” (everything’s ok, just pay the fee in counter #5). Somehow, passport processing is now entirely different unlike before. To renew, passports are released after 5 working days. I mean no more extra fees to somebody else’s pocket, an expression of “Paki naman, ho” (can you do me a favor?) system without delay.

Mabuhay! (kamay sa dibdib/hand on the chest).

Tom’s Diner
by: Suzanne Vega

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