College Prep Diaries: My BIR Experience for CTU Enrollment
Since I already graduated from high school, the next chapter of my life is finally college. I'm planning to study at Cebu Technological University because of its free tuition, and I'm really thankful that I passed both their entrance exam and interview.
One of the requirements for enrollment is a proof of income. Some people said that it's not really necessary to get one, but for me, I still decided to process it because I know it will definitely be useful, especially when applying for scholarships in the future.
First Timer Things
As a first timer, I first searched on Google where the BIR offices in Cebu are, and I was honestly surprised that there are actually a lot of them. My friend Lorene went ahead and processed hers first, if I remember correctly, she went on a Wednesday. I originally planned to get mine on Friday since Thursday was a holiday.
However, Lorene mentioned that the BIR office in Mandaue might not accept walk-ins on Friday. I got a bit worried because I didn't want to waste time or effort going there for nothing. Then my friend Ahmriel told me that the BIR office near IT Park is usually open and accommodate applicants. Because of that, my mom and I decided to go there instead.
Friday: First Attempt
We arrived very early, around 5 a.m., but the office was still closed. While waiting, we just ate breakfast at a nearby carinderia. After eating, we went back and asked the guard for directions and clarification.
However, we were told that the office we went to was only for Metro Cebu residents. Since we are from San Remigio, we were advised that we belong to BIR Mandaue instead. We also mentioned what we heard that they might not accept walk-ins but the guard encouraged us to still try and assured us that they do accommodate applicants.
So we went to BIR Mandaue, and when we arrived, we waited for about an hour. After waiting, the guard told us again that they really do not accept walk-ins and that we should just come back on Monday.
At that moment, I realized that we should have just trusted what Lorene said earlier because we ended up spending more money and effort going back and forth. It felt a bit disappointing and exhausting. While we were there, we even met a Tatay from Bogo who was also trying to get a tax exemption for his child. Since they alsoo weren’t accepting walk-ins, he decided to just go home as well.
In the end, we had no choice but to head back home too, since there was really nothing we could do at that time.
Monday: Second and Final Attempt
When Monday finally came, I was really hoping and praying that I would be able to get it done already. We went there early again and ate breakfast first at a nearby carinderia before heading back to line up.
After eating, we immediately went to the office and waited in line. I was really anxious but also hopeful because I didn’t want to go through another wasted trip again.
There were so many lines, and I honestly didn't know if that was really their system or not, but it was very tiring. Nothing felt straightforward or organized. We had to line up in one office first, and then after that, we had to line up again in another office. It felt like everything required a separate queue, and I really didn’t understand why it had to be that way.
Thankfully, they separated the lines for students, so I was included in the group that got processed earlier since my requirements were already complete. That really helped a lot because I didn’t have to wait as long as others.
However, the Tatay that we met earlier his requirements were not complete, he still had to get some documents signed by an attorney.
When I finally received my tax exemption certificate, I thought everything was already done, but there were still mistakes in the document. First, they got my mother’s name wrong, and then when they corrected it, my surname was also misspelled.
It was honestly tiring and frustrating becausee I already waited for a long time, only to keep going back and forth for corrections. I just wanted it to be finished properly so I could finally move on with my enrollment requirements.
After we were done processing everything, we decided to eat lunch first because we were already so exhausted and hungry.
After lunch, I also tried ice cream from Mang Sorbetes. Since my favorite flavor is cookies and cream, that’s what I ordered. It was honestly so good and refreshing after a long and tiring morning of lining up and fixing documents. I would rate it a solid 10/10, I really loved it and it somehow made the whole stressful day feel a bit lighter.
After all of that, we finally went home. When I got home, I immediately submitted all my requirements online so I could finish the process for my enrollment at Cebu Technological University.
That would be all. Thank you for reading.