Getting your passport renewed in the Philippines is not easy as 1-2-3. For the past three months, I have been trying to get an appointment with DFA but agencies like to take all the slots, and sell them for a premium service :(
I know it would be impossible for me to get a slot here I Cebu in a sufficient time, I tried other locations in the Philippines and was able to secure an appointment slot in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.
Since the flights to Dumaguete weren't exactly reasonable to make a quick day trip, I booked a flight and hotel for one night as soon as I got my appointment confirmed. A few days later, I got a message from my good friend, 
There are ony two flights daily from Cebu to Dumaguete on Cebu Pacific Air; So I was glad when
We were only going to stay for two days, and one night, so I didn't bother bringing my whole wardrobe, only extra clothes to wear the next day. I actually regretted this, since the following day we wanted to go swimming in the hot springs, but I only had one set of dry clothes.
At 3:20am on the day of departure, I met
We got to the airport about an hour before our boarding time and everything went smoothly from checking in, to passing through security, phew! I always get nervous when I travel, because the Philippines security and customs seem to enjoy giving Filipinos going abroad a hard-time. So even when I fly domestic, I get a bit nervous. I think am starting to like the idea of traveling with less baggage, means less hassle ;)
When we got to our gate, it wasn't long until they announced our flight would start boarding soon, and immediately everyone rushed to get in the queue. Me? I sat until almost everyone else got on the flight-They can't leave without us anyways :) We arrived in Dumaguete 30 mins ahead of schedule which is surprising because most flights with Cebu Pacific that I flew on for the past five years, were always delayed.
Btw,
We decided to do the “bahala na system” which means “whatever”, so we'll just go wherever the road may lead us. Outside of the airport terminal, there were only two motorbikes and few tricycles ready to pick up some passengers, since this flight is usually not too full. We got both of the motorbikes and told the drivers to take us to wherever he would recommend at such an early time.
The first place we visited was Rizal boulevard where we took the photos below.
It was a very nice day to just sit and watch the locals doing their own thing, and getting ready for the day. After taking a short walk down the boulevard, we decided to head to our hotel to see if we could possibly check in a bit early- So we can get some rest. Since it was much earlier than 2 pm, we had to pay an extra 650 pesos for the early check-in. I think it was worth paying for especially since neither of us got enough sleep the night before our flight.
The reason I booked this hotel over one that was overlooking the ocean, was because my appointment with DFA was less than a minute walk from our hotel.
Tips for those who have an appointment or who will schedule an appointment in Dumaguete:
You can arrive at DFA even 30 minutes before your appointment time so you can finish early. They prioritize applicants who scheduled an online appointment since they have all the documents already.
For a simple renewal of your passport, you only need your electronic passport (passport starts with EB), one photocopy of your old passport and one photocopy of page 1 & 2 of your online application form which is sent your email address when you schedule your appointment online.
P.S. The DFA system can only send email notification to Gmail accounts.
The passport appointment took about 45 minutes, (which was awesome because
Now its time for me and
It was a nice feeling walking on the beach with the smell of salt in the air and the sound of waves crashing upon the shore. There weren't many people at this time, so we decided to hang out a little bit longer. We pulled up a spot of sand, with a slab of driftwood, and took our time enjoying the scenery.
About an hour later, we decided to get an early dinner at a resort called PuraVida, that we found while walking on the beach. It was a nice looking resort with a native yet modern design. If we planned on staying for few more nights, we would have definitely stayed at this place. The staffs were friendly and the chef stopped by to say hello to us, and to make sure everyone was enjoying their meals, as they had been ordered.
Later that night we had an excellent opportunity to view the 'super-blue, blood moon'- While having our dinner on the beach. This was the highlight of my trip- An unforgettable experience to share with my dearest friend,
XOXO,
Gilaine
Originally posted on Purepinay. Hive blog powered by ENGRAVE.