Business permit renewal

I was again on another encounter with government offices. It’s the time to renew business permits. I am renewing mine for Chimes Concepts, my event management and consultancy company.

The one-stop shop for business permit renewals and applications is in the lobby of the City Hall until January 20. From what I know, last year’s one-stop shop was at the Oval Plaza covered basketball court.

I would say my experience was short and fortunately not bad. Eerything you would need is practically there but it also felt like you are packed like flowers in a bouquet! It was hot, stuffy and hot! I also wished that some of the other city hall employees were more helpful, knowledgeable and complacent. I think they are forgetting that the people they are bitching to are the city’s taxpayers. But anyway, I guess they know that. It’s just that maybe the work seems endless and there are just more people than their airconditioning units can handle.

However, I am happy that most of the city hall employees I encountered did their best to help.

TIP: ASK!!! If you do not know where to go next or what to do, there is an information desk at the entrance and you can ask any employee in the lobby. BRING ALL YOUR DOCUMENTS! Saves you time and effort. Bring all the past year’s receipts and documents (from the city hall). The application starts with getting purok clearance, cedula and barangay clearance from the barangay your business is or will be located. So get those first.

Also, if you are planning to get a new business permit, get it in this period, January 1 to 20 of every year. I applied for a new business permit in May. I had to travel to every office. It will be more convenient to apply now since all those offices will be in one place.

Let’s go greet Bariles!

Gensan’s favorite blogger and the man behind Bariles Republic, Avel Manansala is again on another first!

It’s going to be his birthday on January 19, 2009,  Monday. He wants to get a world record for the most number of birthday greetings for one person in a blog I guess. *smile*

So let’s go greet him! Click here to go to his page.

From Kikay, happy birthday, Avel! Keep blogging and keep rocking!

My LTO experience

Before Christmas, I attempted to get my student permit since I wanted to learn how to drive before the new year. So off I went to LTO or Land Transportation Office to get one.

Like most other encounter with government offices, it was both good and not-so-good.

First, let me say that I started applying for my student permit before I gave birth (around early September). However, I got busy with other things that I did not get to finish the application. So i resumed last December.

To apply for a student permit, you have to start by attending the seminar. Second, you line up at counter one, get your picture taken, pay, get your permit. That may sound quick but not exactly sa tunay na buhay like what a lot of us would say. LOL. This process took me basically a whole morning for the seminar (which shouln’t have been, I’ll explain later.) and about three hours in the afternoon.

Why was it good? Because I think that process was organized, the latter part, and that it’s not hard to get a student permit. I think also that the person giving the seminar was good except that he started late. He is with the traffic management group so I think he basically knows what drivers do on the road and I hope that the other people attending the seminar saw the importance of what the speaker was saying.

Which brings me to the part of why it was not so good. First, the seminar started late. He was sort of trying to gather more people, dilly-dallying on whether he should cancel the session or just sign our applciation forms right away without seminar. I waited for one hour, prompt me. I knew it was at 9am because the previous seminar I attended started at 9. I just reattended because I did not want to fuss around with looking for my name in the attendance. Second, I paid 320 pesos and it turned out the fee as just around 317 pesos! Whoa! I did not realize it until I got home. If there are at least 50 people applying everyday, that’s an outright 100 tip for the cashier or whoever! I wonder if their bosses know about this. Second, I paid for a measly 20 peso ID jacket finding out later on that it’s only P 6.50 in National Book Store!Hay naku… How come no one told me? LOL. So you guys now are pre-warned and I hope pre-armed. Don’t pay for that ID jacket. Bring your dad’s or brother’s old jacket so you have something to show or just tell the guy you have one already unless, of course, if you don’t mind buying the thing from them.

By the way, don’t bother putting on makeup or removing the sheen on your face. It doesn’t help. Nobody looks good in their driver’s license. *smile*

Note: I was told to return on January 21, 2009. I think to get the real card or have an exam. I don’t know yet. Will let you know.