I was able to secure my student license from LTO Batangas wayback in college but I was unable to renew it. After 6 years, I secured another student license.

Last Monday afternoon I went to LTO in Imus Cavite. I know it’s not late yet but the clerk guy said they are not processing applications anymore. So I just asked the requirements to make sure I am prepared. I only have the Application Form and Birth Certificate.

I came back the other day from my shift, thinking it won’t get me waiting for long. I was wrong.

The night before, I filled out the application form (with green ink). I don’t know why I used green while I have black and blue on my desk. So the time I handed the application form to the clerk, I got a doubtful reaction from him. He rejected the form and gave me a new one. I don’t have other inks that time but the green. So I went to the nearest store and ask for a black pen. From that time, I got a sign that I will be spending my day, sleepless, at that office.

Nobody wants to take care of my order. It’s only a pen, the storekeeper are there just beside the pens, I was outside sweating under the sun. After several minutes of arguing who to attend to me, I got the pen.

I filled out the new form but there’s no one seated at Window 2, where I should submit it. I waited for several minutes and a girl came to get the form. I know she’s not an employee. I an sure of it. She looks like a ‘whore’, with very red lips and thick make ups wearing tight-fitting spaghetti strapped blue shirt. Sorry about that. I just don’t know how to describe her in a better way.

She put my form at the bottom of other application forms. It was thick, too thick. I looked at the clerk at the other Window who enters the data to the computer. She was an old lady, around her 60’s, who hardly see the keys on the keyboard, pressing them one by one after every seconds. I really have to wait long.

An hour after, it was 10AM, I checked my application form and it was approximately five papers below from the top. Alright, I thought that I won’t stay long as I first thought. I enjoyed watching Detective Conan and Adventure of Jackie Chan for an hour, and my name has not been called yet.

I wonder why. I stood up and went to Window 3 again. To my surprise, I saw my application brought down to the middle of that thick pile of application forms. Why oh Why?

I began to get suspicious of the things going on. I observed for about 20mins and find out that everything works under the table. I saw the guy clerk alone in a corner and I approached him. “Sir, my paper was about on top a while ago but my name has not been called until now. Why?” He replied, “Just wait and it will be called very soon.” Another guy approached and said. Sir can you process my papers so I won’t wait until lunch here? I’ll pay you. There it is. I found the answer to my question.

A lady came along and said the same thing. Ok, I’ll pay as well but please process my papers before lunch. We paid PHP100.00 each. The girl has 2 applications (one for her husband), so it totaled to PHP400.00. Wow! Ok I don’t mind. Just as long as I can finish this before lunch time.

We were told to proceed directly to Window 11 for the pictures. He said that he will process our papers himself. But there’s one thing I never have thought. There’s already a lot of applicants who paid the same price. Therefore, they are all at Window 11. And there they are, waiting. So I waited for my turn. And after taking my pictures and signatures, the guy asked me to get in and told me that my name does not appear correctly in the computer so I might not be called at the cashier. I don’t know how’d it happen but my last name appears as ‘NTOS’ instead of ‘CANTOS’. Of all the letters, why the first 2?

I went to the cashiers window and informed them of the incident so they are aware of it. It was almost 12 noon, they are preparing themselves for an hour break, so I asked them to search for my name. Unluckily, they can’t find my name on their database. The lady accompanied me to one of the clerks and asked her to search for my name. And she found it. Are they using different databases on their system? Not a wise architect will design it.

No choice, I have to let them take their lunches. So did I. One corn and a bottle of softdrinks.

Then they opened again but still my name was not called after another hour. It was passed 2PM when my name was called. After that, I still have one step to do. Go back to Window 1 and claim my license. But they have to encode it again to correct the name. Not the old lady again, please. But who else? She’s the only one who can do it. I wonder where she went but it took another 30mins before she came back with my papers. And Alas! I got my student license.

I had another look at the guidelines on the board. 4EASY WAYS TO FOLLOW. Well, their easy to follow, that is right. But you have to wait long for each steps. And there’s actually not only 4 steps.

They forgot to include:
Pay PHP100 to the clerk for faster processing.

Another thing I observed while I was there, people who register and renew registrations of vehicles pay directly to the clerk. And the clerk will say, “Ok, just come back tomorrow afternoon”. That’s an easy step isn’t it?

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