Getting NBI Clearance at its Finest!

Madali lang naman ang kumuha ng NBI Clearance dahil apat na proseso lang naman ang dapat mong pagdaanan lalo na kung wala namang komplikasyon sa'yo. First is to get a form and fill-out the required information. Secondly, pay for the amount due (based on your clearance requirement). Thirdly, have your biometrics taken. And lastly, get your clearance at the releasing window. That’s it! You’re done!

But no!!! Hindi gan’on kadali!

It was April 10, 2015, Friday. It was 8:05 AM when I arrived at NBI clearance office at Lipa City, Batangas. Expected ko na, na mahaba na ang pila. By the way, this is my third time to get this kind of clearance.

FIRST STEP: NBI Clearance Application Form

There are two kinds of lines here, the ones that are standing and the ones that are seated. Yung mga nakatayo na naabutan ko, siguro may habang 20 to 30 meters na (rough estimate) and the ones seated are arranged in (about) 12 sits by 7 rows. So roughly, mga 150 na ang tao ang nadatnan ko sa pila.

Time check, 9:30 AM. Yes! Malapit na akong makaupo. Muntik ko nang malimutan na para sa Application Form pa lang pala ako pumipila. It was around 10:00 AM when it was about my turn to get the form.

“Yung mga nasa unahan po ng pila, pakilabas na ng valid ID saka Fifty Pesos para sa form,” sabi ng NBI personnel.

Ha, Fifty Pesos?! Para sa form na kasing liit lang ng kalahating Short Bond paper. Okay, fine! Pumila ako ng napakatagal tapos aangal ako. Magkano lang ba ang Fifty Pesos. But, was it really necessary for a form as little as half of an 8 x 11 bond paper to amount as such??? BTW, the form is only photocopied.

Bumunot kaagad ako ng Fifty Pesos at hinanda ang PRC License Card ko. Inabot sa NBI personnel ang pera at ID, inabutan ng resibo, at kinuha ang form. I hurriedly finished the form, at least to take over some who were still filling-up. Pinasa ko ang form at sinabihan na, “paki hintay na lang pong tawagin ang pangalan”, ng NBI personnel.

It was around 10:30 AM. Mainit na! There is no shade for the ones standing for a line for the NBI Clearance Form, except for the shade of the trees. Swerte ka kung may dala kang payong. May bubong para sa mga nakaupo pero tagusan ang init dahil sa yero lang ito gawa. There are no ventilation system or whatsoever in the whole facility. Kanya-kanyang paypay, kumbaga.

SECOND AND THIRD STEP: Payment and Biometrics

I moved-on to the next step. A waiting area is designated for payment and biometrics. May bubong naman ang waiting area pero gawa lang sa tarpaulin. Halos wala ring kwenta kapag tirik na ang araw. Sitting capacity is around 50 people. So, saan uupo kapag wala ng space? Dun ka sa ugat ng puno (at least hindi mainit dun) o kaya ay sa tabi-tabi na lang na may silong o kaya tumayo ka (tulad ng ginawa ko) sa tabi ng mga nakaupo para makaupo pagkatapos ng mga natawag.

I was able to sit at around 11:00 am (at last)! Patience, patience, patience and a lot more patience in waiting is what you need.

“NO LUNCH BREAK” sign is obvious inside the biometrics area. With all fairness, turn 12:00 PM, tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang tawag ng pangalan for payment and biometrics. And in fairness, ang bagal din ng tawag ng pangalan. Three windows service the payment and biometrics but most of the time only two windows call names for their turn. Based on my observation, turn-over of applicants averages by 2 minutes to 3 minutes. So what do you expect?

Around 1:20 PM, turn-over of applicants noticeably discontinued not until after for around 15 minutes. It is highly understandable (at least for me) if they will pause for a short break.  Turn 1:30 PM, a voice over the speaker sounded like pissed-off... “Yung mga tinatawag makikipunta na lang po kaagad sa window. 130 pa lang po ang tinatawag, mahigit 500 po kayo!” WOW LANG! Kasalanan pala namin mabagal sila dahilan para magutom, mauhaw o maihi para makarating kung saan saan.

2:30 PM - naubos na ang music sa playlist ko, halos eksakto sa pag tawag ng pangalan ko. I mentioned to the window personnel that the purpose of the clearance is for business requirement and so I was charged with Php165.00. My picture and finger prints were taken. And poof! “WITH HIT!” a message in the screen popped-out which means I will not be able to get my clearance right away kasi may kapangalan daw ako. Sa April 17 ko pa daw makukuha.

LAST STEP: (Uwi na ang next step para sa ‘kin) Releasing (sana)

It was Friday and I have taken the day as a vacation leave from my work. Gusto ko sanang maging productive yung araw ko (kasi minsan lang naman ako makaalis ng office ng weekdays) first by going to NBI for clearance and next to another government office—LTO for my Driver’s License. But then, because we all know how INEFFICIENT our government offices are, I did not attempt for the next office.

Again, this is the third time I have visited this office. First was in 2011, for my board exam requirement (buti na lang valid ang NBI Clearance for 6 months kaya nagamit ko pa para sa first employment ko). Next was in 2014, for my next employment requirement. Ever since, the process was the same (except for the Fifty Pesos for the form o hindi ko lang talaga maalala na nagbayad ako ng Fifty Pesos dati para sa form). And ever since, mabagal ang proseso.

Given na yung mabagal na proseso para sa mga government offices dito sa atin eh. Ang punto ko lang naman, TAX PAYER AKO, IKAW at TAYONG LAHAT. We deserve better. Higit sa lahat, TWO HUNDRED FIFTEEN PESOS (P50 + P165 = Php215.00) and binayad ko para sa kapirasong papel! Magkano ba ang nakokolekta ng office na to araw-araw para sa daang-daan na bumibisita sa kanila para sa kapirasong papel na inaabot nila?  Ano ba naman na maglagay sila ng maayos na bubong para sa mga pumipila at naghihintay at KAHIT elektrik fan lang; samantalang sila nilalamig (yata) sa opisina nila.