Fed up with bureaucratic red tape at DFA

Last Sept. 19, upon the advice of my brother, I went to the Department of Foreign Affairs office on Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City. It was my last hope. I thought that finally I would be picking up my new Philippine passport.

I wanted to restore my Philippine citizenship since I left my beloved Philippines in 1967. I have longed to renew my passport for a long time for two reasons: (1) my desire to participate in the elections and exercise the right to choose the leaders of this country; (2) to convince my British-American husband to retire here.

I have spent almost two months following up my application. Overall I must have spent a whole week working eight hours each day trying to secure my Philippine passport.

My husband and I have been in this country since March this year on an exploratory tour for retirement. And I thought it was a good opportunity for me to renew my passport and have a dual citizenship (American and Filipino).

Our stay has been full of aggravations and frustrations, except for the family visits. The former outweighs the latter and it is making me rethink the idea of retiring here for good. I can see clearly the political and cultural corruption in our government hidden under the pretense of proper procedures called bureaucracy. I heard similar horror stories many, many times before but I had always given Filipino officials the benefit of the doubt.

Now my husband is seeing it and I am very embarrassed because he is a great admirer of Filipino culture, of the role the Catholic Church plays in our families, in our relationships with friends, etc. Unfortunately I see this as merely rote practice of faith.

Where is the love for country? I am forced to believe the horror stories because of my experience in dealing with the DFA, which is making me very angry.

During my last stop at the Pending Office of the DFA Macapagal Office, a woman named  “Heide” had my papers on her desk and explained that it was “being held pending’’ because they needed my birth certificate, as well as marriage license. I blew my top.

I told Heide that I obtained my Philippine passport in 1967, with a birth certificate as required. I could not have gotten my passport without it. Neither could have I obtained my United States passport without my marriage certificate. But these papers were not with me. I never travel around with these papers. In anger I left.

I am puzzled why I am being required to produce those documents. I have already received from the Immigration Office Certificate of Re-acquisition/Retention of Philippine Citizenship No. 0712110014416 and also paid the “Express Mail” fee and every other fee required to have my passport mailed to me on Aug. 31.

Just for the NSO’s satisfaction as it looks into my legitimacy, I have two children and both are graduates of Columbia University in New York, one with a master’s degree and the second with a doctorate.

—JOY HALASAN BARNES,

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