27th year

My Birthday Cake baked by Denise Bakeshop

Me, myself and I.  I already sliced the cake when my office mates arrived.

Birthday treat by our dear supervisor

Trusting thy Self

So a day before I turn 27 this year I received a simple advice
 from our former manager Sir Boy Barbs...

 

Though his message was short and simple it really hit me
and made me realized that I really need to do something with all my
plans in life.  True indeed that there are so many skills I want to learn,
so many places I want to explore and so many things I want to do, but what's stopping me?
FEAR. 

For years I let fear control my life.  Fear that I might do or say something wrong,
fear that they might not accept my ideas, fear about what my life would be if
I left my comfort zone and more...

So what now?  I know it is easy for me to write or say  something about me going out from my shell or from my comfort zone and everything.  But now I need to declare to myself that I need to do something.   I need to push my self more.  I need to go beyond my horizon.  And most important,  I need to TRUST my self more.

Looking back.

We used to take a bath here back when we were little.  

Just recently, we went back to visit the place and as expected a lot of things change.

The water was not clear as it used to be, weeds are growing everywhere, and no more kids were playing around the place. Time really does change everything...and one day everything will be forgotten.

Passport Renewal at DFA Cagayan de Oro City

During the typhoon Sendong, one of the most important things that I wasn't able to save was my passport.  So here I am, after few years of ignoring the importance of securing a new one, I finally decided to renew my e-passport.  

Things I did before renewing my passport:

Prepare the necessary documents needed.  In my case, I knew that aside from the birth certificate which was issued from NSO and some valid IDs,  I still  need other supporting documents for my damage passport,so I called their office to asked for the requirements.  For queries,  you may contact DFA Cagayan de Oro City Branch through these numbers (088) 8572175/ (088) 8576565.

Anyway, I was told that I need to provide an Affidavit of Mutilation, NSO birth certificate (but they didn't look for it when I was already there), a photocopy of my passport (page 1-3 and the last page) and a photocopy of my 2 valid IDs.

Aside from these requirements, I also asked my younger sister  to get me an application  form at the DFA Office when she applied for her passport.

For new applicants, you could also look at DFA website for other  requirements.

 Where is DFA CDO Office located?
DFA office here in Cagayan de Oro City is located at Limketkai Drive.  It will only cost  you Php7.00 jeepney fare from Divisoria to Limketkai or from Agora Terminal to Limketkai.

Tips:

Be early.  DFA Office here in Cagayan de Oro City does not entertain appointment for application of e-Passport so you have to be there as early as possible.  And when I say early, it means 3 in the morning if you want to be part of the first batch of applicants.  Really! I'm not kidding. They only cater 250 applicants a day for regular passport (  passport that expires after 5 years).  The reason behind it, is that they only have 4 computers that could cater 250 regular passport plus unidentified  number of HAJJ passport (passport that expires after a year) applicants.  

Just imagine if you are from Zamboanga City and you are the 251th applicant on the line. Tsk! Tsk! I can already imagine the frustration on your face.

Bring all original documents you have, especially your NSO birth certificate. 

Be patient.  For new applicants, I now how hard and time consuming it was for you to  get a NSO birth certificate and a NBI clearance. This time, in processing your Passport here in DFA Cagayan de Oro City , you also need to be patient.  Remember, there are only 4 computers to scan your document, take your picture and encode your data into theor system.

Expect that not all employee will smile at you when they serve you.

Yup! There are smiley posters on the wall of the DFA Office saying "WE SERVE YOU WITH A SMILE",  but sad to say that not all of them are going to be nice with you.  Like what happened to me,  instead of a smile I received a sharp look from the girl on window 5. 

You might be wondering what happened why she did it to me.   Well, she got mad when my two valid IDs fell on the floor when she took my documents which I placed in front of her.  That was the time she gave me a look and murmur something and then she went down to pick it up.  And after it, she was very harsh.  She asked my with a tone why I didn't process my passport after Sendong and she also looked for  my certification as a Sendong victim.  Certification? wait! the last time I called DFA office and asked for the requirements they didn't said anything about a certification.  Anyway, she talked to the girl on window 4 if the affidavit which I presented was alright, good thing that girl knows better than her.  GRRR... Before she gave me my papers she told me to inform the encoder on the  e-passport to scan my affidavit  then she  told me to affix my signature on the lower part of the application form.  So I looked for my pen inside my bag, when I wasn't able to see my ballpen, I asked her if I could borrow a pen from her.  Again she replied to me with a tone, "Pula  ang ballpen ko."  (My pen is red.)  So, again I looked back to my bag and finally found my black pen. Whew!  Later I  found out that it wasn't only me who had a bad experience with the girl on window 5.  

Let me clear things up, the time I processed my passport I had a bad experience at the girl on window 5, but maybe by the time you process your own passport that girl on window 5 might be assign in other things or in other window.  So just observe the person validating your documents and fell free to share your experience here. :)

SIMPLE STEPS ON RENEWING OR APPLYING A PASSPORT AT DFA CDO:

1.  Fall in line outside the DFA Office as early as possible.

2.  Wait for the guard to get your form.

3.  Wait and listen to the guard on what time you are ask to return to DFA office to process your passport. 

4.  On your schedule time, return and wait outside the DFA office until the guard tells you to get in.

5.  Once inside the DFA office, wait for your name to be called on one of the windows that will check the documents or requirements you brought.

6.  After validation, proceed to the cashier.  DFA Cagayan de Oro does not have a express lane for passport application which is worth Php1,200.00 as of the time I process mine.

7.  Proceed to the e-passport encoding area, they have a box there where you should place your form.

8.  Wait for your name to be called by one of the e-passport encoder.

9.  Once your picture, finger prints and signature specimen have been taken.  Check carefully the print-outs that they will be giving to you.  If the details on the form are correct, affix your signature on lower part of the form.

PASSPORT COMPLAINTS
DFA has emails for complaints, inquiries, etc. : passportassist.asec@gmail.com or ask-passport@oca.dfa.gov.ph

J.Co Attack!

This day was just one of those ordinary working days of the week where in we wake-up in the morning, get ourselves ready for work, go to the office, do our daily routines such as encoding,have our lunch and so on...

So what new about this day? Well...

Our boss brought some J.Co Donuts at our office today.

Cherry Tomatoes

 

 It was early this year when my younger sister noticed some tomatoes growing at our backyard.  This type of tomatoes which she discovered was smaller in size than the one sold  in our market today.  This variety of tomatoes are known as cherry tomatoes.

Cherry tomatoes also comes in different sizes, from a cherry  to a golf ball size.  I tried looking for the common name of this variety but I.m having a hard time distinguishing which one is it.   All I can say is that it size is like of a regular marble and its taste is a little bit sour.  You know when it's ripe cause it changes it's color from pale green to yellow or red.  I love looking at the plant when every tomatoes are ripe and love picking them.

At home, we already tried using it on our soup, we just add it on a boiling water together with some knorr cubes and some cabbage.  We sometimes add it with a soy sauce and eat it with our fried fish.

Anyway, I brought a few of it at our office and everyone was amazed by its size and taste.  Some of them were asking for some seedlings already, I guess I have to start making one soon. 

Earthquake In The Philippines

It was around 4 in the morning when we were awaken by the shaking of the ground. I looked around the room and everything was moving, this one was strong and yet I didn't move from my bed I just lay down there and wait for it to stop.

 How ready are we when it comes to earthquakes? What should we do?  I asked myself.

I'm not an expert yet I 'm good in asking my best friend Google for some answers.  So here is a short reminder for you guys:

• Get yourself cover onto a desk or table. Stay away from kitchen and windows when you are inside your home.  In case you are in your office or any buildings , do not use the elevator
• Stay in a open space away from buildings, power lines and anything that could fall on you when you are outside.
• BE WATCHFUL for landslide if you are in mountainous area or tsunami when you are near an ocean or sea.
• DO NOT PANIC.  PANIC makes things worst.

Anyway, if you want to check the latest earthquakes that is happening in your community, you might want to check the usgs or U.S. Geological Survey site.