I was supposed to be at the LTO by 8:00, but natured called. No choice there. :)) After I'm done, I realized I already peed. This was bad; based from experience, one of the main causes of delays in renewal is not being able to produce enough urine for the drug testing center to test. So, I just downed a whole 200ml bottle of water and when I got there, I went for another Coke Sakto bottle. Surely enough, I had more than enough to give as a sample. :)) Of course after that, I needed to go, uhm, every fifteen to twenty minutes for the next three hours. :))
I remember being at the drug testing center in LTO Paranaque around 8:30. When I got in, there was already a long queue of people. Well, there isn't actually a queue, but there were already many people inside before me. After paying 400 pesos and getting the sample bottle, I immediately filled it up and made crew process my medical and drug test much faster and ahead of the others. Urine sample, checked; Eye test, checked; blood pressure normal, checked. It still took about an hour and a half, but that's still relatively a short time compared to the others there -- particularly this middle-aged woman who was there before me, but by the time I got the results, she has only filled up about a quarter of the bottle.
For those renewing, you may want to take note of this. There are four official documents you need to produce:
- Your curent license and the original receipt
- Medical examination result with receipt (as of this writing, only the drug testing center local to the LTO branch is accredited)
- (Negative) drug test result with receipt (same point as above)
- Filled up application form
For some reason, the guy at Window 1 (Evaluator) required a copy of the TIN (Tax Identification Number), which is weird considering that it is not declared anywhere in the posters that this is required. When I said that I don't have TIN ID and I don't remember my TIN, they just said to go over across the street to get one. WHAT?! And there I went to this small unassuming carinderia and asked for a TIN. They made me pay 150 pesos! A hell of a lot for this!!! What choice did I have? The medical results were only valid for today and only for this LTO branch. And this LTO branch will not process my renewal if I don't have any TIN. And this guys won't give me a TIN if I don't cough up 150 pesos! Hmph... Dunno know about you, but I know this fishy business -- I'm guessing the guy at window 1 has an arrangement with the guys in the carinderia. Every license renewal, they get 150. Geez...
Now I have two TINs. The first one which I've used for filing my tax, and this second one which apparently has no purpose at all.
It woudn't have mattered if the official LTO posters and banners indicated that the TIN is required. It's not. So there. Whatever. I just wanted to get this over with. After passing all the *five* required documents, in less than thirty minutes, I have paid, and received my brand new license card -- and this time, the spelling of my name is CORRECT!!! :))
All in all, let's see: 400 pesos for medical and drug testing, 150 pesos for the TIN, 492.63 pesos for license renewal, computer fee, and late charge penalty. Quite pricey for something that I'm only be using until the end of the week. Still, it's an official document that I'm gonna need anyway as an official ID... Oh well... I finished everything before 12, so I'm free for thes rest of the afternoon.
I then had my haircut at Eduardo's Barber shop in BF Homes. The same barber shop me and my dad have been going to since my very first haircut. And two of the original crew, Mang Nick and Mang Romy, are still there. I don't think they've recognized me though, since it's been years since I last my haircut there. :)
After that, I stopped by at my uncle's home in nearby Tahanan Village. With the many things I still have to do, I thought this is a good time as any to visit them. We had a lot of catching up to do. My uncle is already retired, while my aunt was still at work when I visited. Their eldest son was processing his papers to work abroad, while the others are all looking for jobs themselves. I wish them all the luck. By the time I left, it was already dark. So I simply went home and rest. :)
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