Driver’s License: Government’s License to Hoover Some More Money Out of Our Wallets.

Another story of why I hate the Filipino system. The system sucks. The People who work in the system suck even more.

I went to the LTO near JP Rizal yesterday to renew my license before I leave next week. My license won’t expire until my birthday in October but I figured I could renew it if I tell them I’m leaving the country soon. My sister and I went to the customer service window and I was told that it was too early for me to renew my license and if I am leaving the country soon I should show them proof by photocopying my airline ticket. I was told twice that I needed to show them my ticket. Twice.

Hassle right? I called my travel agent and asked if she could email or fax me my e-ticket and she said it wasn’t a problem and could do it right away. I figured it was doable so my sister and I went to get our health tests near the LTO (yuck! yuck! yuck!) and then went back to the customer service window to ask for their email address or fax number so my travel agent could fax them my ticket. But… but! It was not allowed. Maybe they didn’t have internet access (LTO? Walang access?), or they didn’t have a fax machine (LTO? Walang fax machine?) so I was told to go to an internet cafe or one of the stores across the LTO for fax services.

I went to one of the stores, gave my travel agent the fax number, paid P15.00 and got my e-ticket in less than 2 minutes. Finally! So we went back to the LTO to the same customer service window and talked to the same man and I gave him my e-ticket with a smile and was promptly told this:

“Ok, now give me a copy of your passport.”

What the fuck?!?! Kanina sabi nya to give him the ticket, just the ticket and he said it twice and now that I have the ticket may dagdag na copy of my passport pa? Why couldn’t he have told me this earlier? Had I known that I needed a copy of my passport as well I wouldn’t have gone through with the health tests and wasted P400.00. I would have known then that I wouldn’t be able to complete the requirements since my passport was in Caloocan.

There are no words! No words I tell you!

I wanted to smash my hands into the window and smack his face three hundred and fifty-seven times! In the end I just told ditsi to go ahead with her application while I have my tests endorsed so I can apply in Caloocan instead.

A few weeks ago I was having second thoughts about leaving the Philippines and I actually thought that I’d be better off staying here for school and work. Now that a few weeks have passed, I know I made the right decision to go to California. While I have no plans of staying put in the U.S., I can’t see myself staying put here in the Philippines either. The thought of dealing with government employees prone to power tripping for the rest of my natural life makes me ill.

Note: A story that has some relevance to what I experience whenever I come home. It’s a good read, funny and short.

Note Note: Paano nag re-renew ng driver’s license ang mga politicians at mga Ayala? Sila kaya ang pinupuntahan ng LTO?