Driver's License Renewal 101

After learning the other day that my driver's license had expired almost 5 months ago, I got a new one at the driver's license renewal center in SM yesterday. I have to admit that I was actually nervous since I'm used to doing these sorts of things with the help of a parent/grandparent. I'm actually shy to come up to people and ask them questions/for help. Instead, I eavesdrop on conversations to get helpful pieces of information. At the age of 21, however, it would be silly to bring a guardian with me. So here, I've created this post for everyone who wants to know the process of license renewal, for everyone whose nerves act up because of processes that require many different steps, and, well, because there were so funny moments when I had to hold my laughter in yesterday & it would be a shame no to share them.  Haha.


I arrived in SM before it even opened (had to give myself a high five at this personally difficult task to achieve), hurried to the renewal center when I got in, and was greeted by this line:

My feeling of smugness disappeared right away. "How could this have happened when I was literally half walking, half running to get here?", I asked myself. I posted the photo above on Facebook and someone commented that people who renew their licenses can get in at 9 in the morning. Great.
So anyway, I took my spot at the line, put my earphones on and played Two Door Cinema Club on full blast (RIP Steve Jobs, your innovations have made waiting in line so much more bearable), until the person behind me tapped my arm.


Person: "Excuse me, mao ni ang linya para sa form?"
Me: "Ummm wa raba ko kibaw. Ga apil apil ra man pud ko'g linya"

What form was he talked about? It does get confirmed that the line-I-had-no-idea-what-was-for was indeed the correct one for the form (how it couldn't be the right one, I don't know, since there wasn't any other line, anyway), but I still didn't know what sort of form. Thankfully, the got shorter and shorter, until the window for the first step finally came in sight.

 
Step 1: Cashier - Pay PHP 400 to the cashier for your drug & medical exam (PHP 300 & PHP 100, respectively). The mysterious form was actually for these 2 exams. The cashier gives it to you to fill up, and one of the things you have to list down are the meds you're taking, if there are any. Just to be a bit dramatic, I listed down the name of my eye drops. Hahaha. You give back the form to the window next to the cashier (the one where that man in blue is standing), where you are given your number and told to fall into another line for the specimen collection for the drug test.

Step 2: Urine - By specimen collection, I'm talking about urine collection, of course. Thank God I had brought a bottle of red tea with me, and let's just keep it at that.

Once you fill your specimen bottle up with your bodily fluids (hahaha), you take a seat and wait until your number is called out for step 3.

Step 3: Biometrics, where your picture gets taken (so make sure you fix yourself right after giving away your urine. There's a huge mirror by the comfort room, and when I saw myself in it, I KNEW right away that I DID have to fix myself, especially my hair, which I had cut right after). They also do this fingerprint thing where you have to press your thumb three times on the scanner.

Step 4: Medical exam, where they take your weight (the first time I got onto a weighing scale since I started culinary school - I GAINED SEVENTEEN POUNDS!) & height, and make you read the Snellen eye chart. I'm blind without my glasses, so when the examiner asked me to read the first line, I said straight away that I couldn't read a thing ("Okeh!," he said. Haha). You then have a short sit down interview with their doctor, and are made to go wait for the results of your two exams by the entrance of the license renewal center.


I waited and waited and waited for my name to be called... until I finally got the guts to ask the security guard what was happening and why he wasn't calling out names anymore. It was lunch break. Just perfect. There were just about 2 more steps left, but I had to wait another hour to finish the whole process. My lunch at Dimsum Break, though, made me feel much better.

I went back to the renewal center at 1, and got the results of my exams (I passed, of course. Haha). The guard calls out your name, makes you sign their log book (name, age, sex, signature, I've memorized), and gives you a form for the CSR (Car Service Registration? Crab Shell Relish? Cute Silly Rabbit?).

Step 5: CSR - The CSR is actually a small table right by the entrance. You give the guy your filled out form, and he also writes some stuff on the form (he wrote "w/ condition A" on mine, which actually worried me until I realized that condition A was wearing corrective lenses). He gives you back your form and tells you to give it to window 4.

(From left to right: Windows 4, 3, 2 & 1)

Step 6: Window hopping - After giving your form to Window 4 guy, you wait until Window 1 lady calls you to get your picture taken again. This is the photo that goes on your license so make sure that you look that way you want to. Haha. You then go to Window 2 to sign your signature, and are told to wait again until Window 3 calls you for your payment (mine was PHP 493, but most of the others had to pay PHP 480. Hmmmm), and are told to wait. Again. A whole lot of waiting, no? Window 4 guy will then call you and release your license. I was so excited to get mine that I hit my head on his window.

My very own pieces of advice:

- bring your own pen. You are going to need it.

- bring something to drink. You do not want the line for the specimen collection wait for you (and knowing that people are waiting for you to pee makes it even more difficult, doesn't it? Haha)

- most importantly, there's actually a sign in the center that says that the busiest hours are from 11 AM - 2 PM. If I known that earlier, then I would've gone later in the afternoon. Don't make my mistake!