Philippines Archives • Catzie.net Blog

How to get marriage certificate in the Philippines online from PSA (NSO)

I requested a copy of my PSA (formerly NSO) Marriage Certificate last Monday and received it today, on a Saturday afternoon. I was required to present 1 valid ID and submit a photocopy of it to the person who delivered my PSA Marriage Certificate.

Online request for PSA Marriage Certificate

On August 19, Monday, I requested a copy of my PSA Marriage Certificate online. It’s for my application for Japan visa so that’s the info I entered before clicking the “Submit” button. Then, I filled out the Marriage Details, Name of Husband, and Maiden Name of Wife. I was also asked if I had any of the following done to my marriage certificate: correction of entry, annulment, court hearings, supplemental, or legal separation… I just clicked the “None” button. And then, I had to fill out information on “Who is requesting for this Marriage Certificate?” which should match the receiver’s name in the valid ID to be presented when the marriage certificate is delivered. Upon checkout for the online ordering of my PSA Marriage Certificate, I provided my contact info, delivery address, and number of copies of the certificate. This is the point where one could add the name of authorized representatives if the owner will not be the one to receive the marriage certificate. If you are opting for this, make sure to print the LOA (Letter of Authorization).

Payment for my PSA Marriage Certificate online order

You may pay online using a credit card or GCash, or by bank transfer. I chose to use GCash.

Before sending payment for my marriage certificate, the status of my order was like this:

August 19, 2019, 10:22 am
Status
Waiting for Payment Confirmation from Payment Provider

After entering my GCash mobile number, I received an SMS asking for my GCash pin for confirmation.

Few minutes later, the status of my order was updated into the following:

August 19, 2019, 10:28 am
Status
Paid via GCash

NSO Processing

The next day, the status of my PSA marriage certificate online order became “processing”:

August 20, 2019, 1:34 am
Status
Submitted to NSO for processing

Delivery of the PSA Marriage Certificate

5 days after my online order, I received the following SMS at 7:34 AM:

Good morning. Please be advised that your requested PSA (NSO) document is for delivery anytime today. Kindly prepare the recipient’s original & photocopy of the valid ID as well as the Letter of Authorization with original & photocopy of the valid ID from the person issuing the letter (if applicable). For inquiries, pls call PSAHelpline at 737-1111. Thank you.

I checked the status of my order online and saw the following:

August 23, 2019, 4:01 pm
Status
For Delivery

Oooh, so it was already marked as “for delivery” since the day before!

At 12:59PM the delivery person texted me, asking me to prepare my valid ID and a photocopy of it. I was surprised that he asked me for a photocopy too. Previously, when I requested PSA (NSO) certificates, the delivery staff didn’t even check for valid IDs sometimes. I re-read the requirements at the PSA website and found this:

What are the necessary requirements to be presented when receiving the documents upon delivery?

If the person receiving the document is the owner or any of the Authorized persons(legal spouse, father, mother, son or daughter), he/she should present a signed valid original ID and submit a photocopy to the courier.

If the receiving party is not one of the authorized persons, he/she needs to present the following:

> Original signed letter of authorization (LOA) from the certificate owner/authorized persons (legal spouse, father, mother, son, or daughter)
> To present a valid original ID of the owner/authorized persons (legal spouse, father, mother, son, or daughter)
> A photocopy of the valid ID of the owner/authorized persons (legal spouse, father, mother, son, or daughter)
> A photocopy of the valid ID of the authorized representative

Oops! My bad, I didn’t check for the changes in the rules. I’m super lucky we have a printer with photocopy function at home. Otherwise, the marriage certificate would probably be re-delivered on another day because I don’t think we have any photocopy service near our home.

The delivery person arrived at our place around 1:45PM. He asked me to sign a document for receipt. He told me that PSA became more strict recently so they now require a photocopy of the valid ID, aside from presenting the actual ID to the courier. I was told that a lot of clients have been frustrated about this new requirement, and that one of the delivery persons was slapped by a customer before because he could not provide a photocopy of a valid ID. Ouch! But PSA really won’t allow us to receive the certificate anymore without submitting a photocopy of the ID, for data security purposes.

August 24, 2019

Swimming with fishes at Camayan Beach Resort (Subic, Philippines)

The unknown scares me. It was what triggered an injury on my toe back when I tried to snorkel in Samal Island. I was wearing a life vest but still felt nervous in the water… not only because I didn’t know how to swim back then, and I did not know what aquatic creatures I may encounter while snorkeling. What if there were sharks or snakes that may attack me? I have no clue (and still do not) what I should do when I encounter such creatures, and so when the life guard began shouting unintelligibly at us just as I was trying to make myself comfortable in the water, I had a panic attack and tried to swim back very nervously to the stairs back to the land. My foot hit some stone underwater in the process and only realized that I was injured when I saw the pool of blood under my big toe.

A year later…

Photo from NO FINS STRUGGLE – Trying to dive with no fins. This looks very similar to the sea snake or eel that I saw in Anilao, Batangas

I may still be afraid of unknown marine creatures that I may encounter underwater up to now, but I believe that I have made significant progress in building confidence in sea water. Though always anxious when I do it, I’ve recently been enjoying swimming on the surface of the sea water while enjoying the sight of life on the coral reefs below me… also known as snorkeling. 😆 I even actually saw a sea snake, or eel (not sure which one it is) during my first successful injury-free snorkeling at Anilao, Batangas. Good thing it was only lazying on the sand when I passed it. Otherwise, I might have panicked again. Lucky I saw it when I was just about to go back to the shore. If I had seen it at the start of my snorkeling session, I might have backed out right away. Yeah, yeah. I’m such a scaredy cat!

The comfort I now have in the water all started with swimming practice in a swimming pool near my home, and the snorkeling experiences that I’ve been gradually piling up over time. 🙂 I’m actually recently interested in naming the marine creatures that I see when I snorkel. I’ll try to name some in this blog entry!

Swim with fishes in Camayan Beach Resort, Subic — You will love the view of the sky, mountains and ocean

My most recent snorkeling session was in Subic, specifically at Camayan Beach Resort, where fishes could be seen easily in the clear waters near the shore.

Sergeant fishes in Subic, (Zambales Philippines) — fishes in Subic, (Zambales Philippines)

These were the sergeant fishes in Camayan Beach Resort, which I think are one of the most common types of fishes in Philippine reefs. They have black stripes that start from the top of their bodies, and ending just above their bellies. Many of them have a yellowish color on their top too.

Swimming with fishes in Subic, (Zambales Philippines) — This is the closest I’ve swam with fishes!

Diamond scale mullet (banak) fishes in Subic, (Zambales Philippines) — Diamond scale mullet (banak)

I noticed that there were these larger than usual fishes that liked swimming by pair near the surface of the water. Of course I got a bit anxious about them 😆 They’re a bit big and swim right where we snorklers do!

A parrot fish swam right in front of me! Lucky I was shooting pictures/videos at that moment.

Fishes in Subic, Zambales — These look like parrot fishes too

I’m not sure if the purple fish and its company are parrot fishes too. Help, anyone?

Speaking of parrot fishes, I’ve read somewhere that we should discourage consumption of parrot fishes. They help maintain coral reefs by feeding on the reefs’ algae.

Dark fish in Subic — What’s this dark fish called, anyone?

I think snorkeling can be fun when you get to swim so close to fishes and are able to identify some of them. I should read more about common reef fishes in the Philippies for my next snorkeling adventures!

What else besides the unknown makes me panic while snorkeling? It’s when sea water gets into my snorkel, and usually into my throat! My snorkeling partner tells me I should just blow it out, but seawater gets in my throat and that makes me cough uncontrollably. I usually go back to the shore right away to calm down when that happens. 😆

May 2, 2018

NBI Clearance online registration 2017 (Robinson’s Place Ermita and other branches)

Not that I remember exactly what the NBI Clearance renewal/application was like when I last tried to get one (4 years ago) but I can say that the current process is not so bad because Step 1 (filling out the application form) and Step 2 (payment) can already be done online.

After completing the online processes, you may then visit any NBI Clearance branch to go through Step 3 (biometrics scanning) and Step 4 (release). Of course, you may also do Step 1 and 2 right there in the NBI Clearance branch too, but I highly recommend that you do it online to avoid an even longer waiting time. Those who do not have Internet access at home may use computers at the main branch in United Nations, Manila for free.

By the way, NBI Clearance is one of the requirements to get a Postal ID so you might as well look into applying for it. We applied for our Postal ID at SM North EDSA.

If you plan to apply for NBI Clearance at Robinson’s Place Ermita branch in Manila too, scroll down and check out my Step 3, because I’m going to show a few photos of what that NBI branch looks like. 🙂

NBI Clearance online registration 2017 Requirements

Personal information (online form)
Payment (over-the-counter or online)
2 Valid IDs (In Feb. 2017 we tried to renew our NBI Clearance without presenting an ID and it was a success!)
NBI Clearance fee (P140 for local employment when paid online, as of Feb. 2017)

My NBI Clearance online registration in 2017 at Robinson’s Place Ermita branch

Step 1: Register online at nbi-clearance.com

First thing you need to get a new or renewed NBI Clearance online is to get an account at nbi-clearance.com. Login if you already have one, or register if you don’t have any yet.

Fill out all necessary details then when you see the screen below, click on “APPLY FOR CLEARANCE”:

“Application” page of NBI Clearance online registration

Enter the name of the ID that you will show the NBI staff when you go to their branch, for example “SSS UMID” or “PSA copy of birth certificate”. I was surprised that the NBI staffs did not ask for any ID when we renewed our NBI Clearance. Could it be because they’re not strict about renewals?

Then you will reach a page with a calendar – it’s the NBI Clearance appointment system.

Appointment schedule calendar at nbi-clearance.com

If you choose AM, you may go to the NBI branch of your choice any time before noon. And if you choose PM schedule, you may arrive anytime after noon before the closing time of your NBI branch, which in my case at Robinson’s Place Ermita was 5PM. The NBI Clearance branch at Robinson’s Place Ermita is located at Basement 1 or “Basement Parking”, which is reachable via a stairway beside National Bookstore (Enter via Sta. Monica Street or Padre Faura entrance.

You’ll notice that there are less remaining slots for AM schedules than PM, but the difference is not significant.

Step 2: Pay online for you NBI Clearance

My mom and I renewed our NBI Clearance for “local employment” and “ID purposes” and each costed us P140. The base price is P115 for the NBI Clearance only, and added to this is additional P25 fee for online payment.

Instructions for online payment:

A payment page will open. Select preferred ONLINE BANKING OPTION then follow instruction.
You will be provided a REFERENCE NUMBER.
Pay your fee to the selected Payment Channel using your REFERENCE NUMBER.
Go to TRANSACTION PAGE and print Application Form.

Initially, I was trying to pay for my NBI Clearance application via online banking at 11:31PM. But I couldn’t proceed with payment because according to the NBI Clearance online system, online banking payment is only available until 11:30PM daily! It was frustrating because it was only a minute past the cutoff. I was able to pay the next day without any problem anyway.

By the way, you should enter your “reference number” as “remark” on your online money transfer. Enter nothing else aside from the reference number.

Step 3: Fall in line at your NBI Clearance branch for biometrics, Robinson’s Place Ermita in my case

The branch that we chose for our NBI Clearance application is Robinson’s Place Ermita in Manila City. If Robinson’s Ermita is the same branch you’d like to go, then I can show you a few photos.

This is the entrance to the Basement Parking. Find it beside National Bookstore near Padre Faura or Sta. Monica entrance:

Basement of Robinson's Ermita Manila for NBI Clearance online registration — Entrance to the basement of Robinson’s Ermita, Manila. Downstairs is where you will find a NBI Clearance branch

If unsure, don’t hesitate to ask someone at the information booth about the location of NBI at Robinson’s Ermita.

nbi clearance online registration robinsons ermita basement biometrics queue — Feb. 6, 2017 (Monday) at 2:20PM – Long queue at Robinson’s Ermita for NBI Clearance application

Once you are downstairs at Robinson’s basement, you’ll see that this area is “Lingkod Pinoy Center”. Some of the other government services you’ll find there are for SSS, Philhealth, and Pag-IBIG.

Ask a guard where you should fall in line after registering and paying online. The guard should ask you to enter the parking area and find the queue (there are seats!) for NBI Clearance. What you are actually going to fall in line for in that area is the NBI Clearance Center’s biometrics scanning.

A guard will call 2-3 rows at a time for another queue, closer to the biometrics scanning counter. At first, the progress was quick. Each batch of about 30 people were done in 10 minutes. But when it was nearly our turn, instead of 10 minutes waiting after the previous batch was called, we were called 40 minutes after! 🙁

When our batch was called to fall in another line, it was in this place:

There were no seats here, but the queue should be processed quickly because the NBI staffs at the counter — though a bit mean when dealing with some applicants, move very quickly. Maybe there was technical problem earlier, that’s why our batch took 40 minutes to be called instead of 10 minutes. There are 2 biometrics capture counter, but you fall in only 1 line. Whichever counter finishes with an applicant first will call on to the next one in line.

And oh, I hope you don’t get discouraged in choosing Robinson’s Ermita as your branch just because I said that the staffs were kind of mean. In my experience in getting an NBI Clearance (this was my 3rd time), the NBI staffs who attend to biometrics are always intimidating no matter which branch it is. I understand that it might be due to stress though. We can only imagine how many applicants they handle everyday.

Observe the people before you – do they present any ID to the staffs with their application forms? In our case, none of the people who went before us presented any ID — only application forms. If you see the same thing then hand over your application form to the NBI staff and simply prepare your valid ID for easy access, just in case the NBI staffs as for it.

The NBI staffs capture biometrics data such as finger prints (all fingers), signature, and photo — all in digital form! Hurray for using technology. 🙂

Step 4: Release of NBI Clearance

To the left of the 2 NBI biometrics counters is the “RELEASE” counter. Go straight there UNLESS the person who assisted you at biometrics counter said you need to come back at a later date to claim your NBI Clearance — this means you got a “hit”. A hit means your name matched another person with the same name and NBI needs more time to verify if you have a clear record with them.

nbi clearance online registration hit — “Hit” me baby one more time! Story of my adult life: I can never get my NBI Clearance in one visit to an NBI branch.

I applied for NBI Clearance on Feb. 6 (Monday) and can only claim it on Feb. 17 (Friday) — that’s a total of 11 days! The heck?

You see, I know someone with a very unique foreign-sounding name and yet he got a “hit” with NBI! We were thinking, what if getting a hit doesn’t really mean you have the same name as someone else, but the NBI staffs just don’t feel like releasing your NBI Clearance right away? Or what if it’s NBI’s way of reducing printout loads during busy days?

The things I liked about the current NBI Clearance process are these:

NBI Clearance application/renewal can be partially done online, reducing the time we need to spend falling in long lines in NBI branches
Availability of NBI Clearance payment via online banking such as BPI Express Online, BPI Mobile Banking, BDO Online Banking and more.

And of course, because I like complaining: Things I hate about the current NBI Clearance process as of February 2017:

NBI staffs that capture biometrics data are mean and intimidating, at least in the NBI branch at Robinson’s Place Ermita. I think that if they smiled more, it will be a win-win situation: applicants will feel more “at ease”, and the NBI staffs themselves will somehow feel good to because I think that smiling — even when a bit forced, can help one feel relaxed.
Unexpected long waiting time before biometrics data capture

February 8, 2017

How to get Pag-IBIG Contribution Printout (Makati II Branch and others)

Being employed in the Philippines requires that we contribute to Home Development and Mutual Fund (HDMF) / Pag-IBIG Fund. If you are about to be employed and had been previously employed with another company, your new employer might require you to submit Pag-IBIG Contribution Printout as one of their pre-employment requirements.

As of this time, you won’t be able to check your Pag-IBIG contributions online (unless you’re an OFW who is contributing to Pag-IBIG Fund) but what you should to for your Pag-IBIG Contribution Printout is go to the Pag-IBIG branch where your records and contributions are being kept. Now, the next question is how do we know which Pag-IBIG branch is keeping our contributions? Follow my steps.

How to get Pag-IBIG Contribution Printout

Verify the branch location where your current employer is sending your contributions. You have 2 options:
1. Ask your HR for the Pag-IBIG branch location, or
2. Ask a Pag-IBIG Member Relations Officer via online chat for your “contributions details” which should include your branch location How to inquire about basic contribution details via Pag-IBIG Fund Chat:
  Go to Pag-IBIG Fund online chat. The first page should look like this:
  1. Enter your name, email, and contact number
  2. Once inside the actual chat page, type CONTRI and press Enter key. The chat page should look like this:
  3. The Pag-IBIG chat system will automatically ask for the a few details. Simply type your response and press Enter key for each question, just like when you’re chatting with a person 🙂 These are the required Pag-IBIG details from you: Full Name (including Middle Name), birth date, previous employer, current employer, and Pag-IBIG Number.
  4. Once you provided the necessary details, a member relations officer will be there. He/she will provide to you the basic details of your Pag-IBIG Fund contributions, like this:
    
    Member Relations Officer (10:21 AM): Thank you for patiently waiting. Kindly refer below for the details of your contributions:
    
    YOUR CURRENT COMPANY
    22 Monthly Savings from 201504 – 201613
    MAKATI II Branch
    
    YOUR PREVIOUS COMPANY
    21 Monthly Savings from 201307 – 201503
    MAKATI II Branch
    
    Member Relations Officer (10:24 AM): Do you have further questions or concerns Ma’am?
  5. Now you know the Pag-IBIG branch where you need to get your Pag-IBIG Contribution Printout, which is “MAKATI II Branch” in our example above. If you’re not sure about its exact address, simply ask the Pag-IBIG member relations officer for it.
  6. Don’t forget to thank the Pag-IBIG member relations officer for assisting you! 🙂
Go to your branch to request a Pag-IBIG Contribution Printout

Now that you are sure of which Pag-IBIG branch is receiving your contributions, go ahead and visit that branch to request a Pag-IBIG Contribution Printout. If like mine, your Pag-IBIG Fund remittance is in Makati II branch, go to Justine Bldg. along Gil Puyat (Buendia) Avenue. Go to the Information Center at the ground floor to get a printed queue number. Wait for your number’s turn on the screen. You will be served at one of the following counter numbers: 4, 5, 6, or 7.

Other notes

Pag-IBIG Contribution Printout is also known as “Employee Statement of Accumulated Value” or ESAV. This printout shows the member name, Pag-IBIG ID number, TIN, employer ID, employer name, employer address, membership type, number of contributions, currency, employee contribution, employer contribution, “dividends”, and of course, the total accumulated value.

January 30, 2017

How to open BPI savings account without maintaining balance (requirements & steps)

I wanted to open a joint account with someone, and our choice is a BPI savings account with ATM card. We failed to make it a BPI “joint” savings account (I’ll tell you why later), but I successfully opened a BPI savings account without maintaining balance.

Want a BPI savings account without maintaining balance? I’ll provide as much details as possible in this article to help you out. 🙂 This type of account is called BPI Easy Saver Account.

To me, a BPI savings account without maintaining balance is much more practical than the one that requires 3000 pesos minimum balance. It’s like depositing money that you can’t use.

In 3 Steps, I’ll show you how to open BPI savings account without maintaining balance! 🙂

Step 1: Prepare the following for your BPI savings account

Information such as:
- TIN number
- SSS or GSIS number
- Employer’s/Business’ address and phone number
- Home address (kabisado mo ba? 😆 kung bagong lipat baka hindi, diba?)
- Phone number and mobile number
- Full name of father and mother
I didn’t have my TIN number, SSS number, and employer’s phone number with me when I tried to open a BPI savings account, but the business manager was kind enough to just let me text her those details later that day so she could process my application. So, prepare these details to avoid delays in your application! 🙂
Two (2) 2×2 or 1×1 ID photos

The BPI business manager asked for only 1 photo, but try to bring 2 photos to be sure. She asked for 1×1, but she accepted the 2×2 photo that I brought.
Two (2) valid IDs

I presented an unexpired passport and my SSS UMID. View list of accepted valid IDs in Step 2. Please scroll down a bit to view the list.
200 pesos for initial deposit (Add 50 pesos for ATM card)

Initial deposit of 200 pesos is required to open BPI Easy Saver account. When your account is activated, that amount should be part of your account balance. I chose to have an Express Teller Card (ATM Card) instead of passbook, and that card costs 50 pesos.
Utility Bill reflecting address

Examples of utility bills are Meralco or Maynilad billing statement. Bring the latest statement to prove validity of your address. I heard that only the bill’s address should match yours, and the name may be someone else’s. BPI actually didn’t ask for any utility bill when applied for a savings account, but that might be because of my home address’ proximity to the BPI branch — it’s like 5 minutes of walk away from BPI. 😆

Step 2: Visit a BPI branch near you to open an account

Tell a BPI staff you want to open an account

Approach a banker and tell him/her that you want to open an “Easy Saver” account — that’s the name of the BPI savings account without maintaining balance. See the tables in the bank where BPI bankers accomodate people with their concerns? That’s where you go, not to the counter where you find bank tellers processing deposits and withdrawals. 😉
Fill out forms completely

This, my friends, is when the information I advised you earlier to prepare comes in handy. Double check what you write down, okay? The banker will let you know if you missed anything.
Present your valid IDs

I brought 2 IDs: passport and my SSS UMID. I forgot to ask the BPI business manager if only one is actually required. When I search online though, I read that BPI requires one primary (with picture and signature) and one secondary, like in this list from BPI Trade FAQs:
PRIMARY
Click to show/hide PRIMARY ID list
- Alien Certification of Registration/Immigrant Certificate of Registration
- Driver’s License
- Government Office and GOCC ID, e.g. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP ID), Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF ID)
- Government Service and Insurance System (GSIS) e-Card
- OFW ID
- Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) ID
- Passport (mandatory requirement for foreigners)
- Postal ID
- Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) ID
- Senior Citizen Card
- Social Security System (SSS) Card
- Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID)
SECONDARY
Click to show/hide SECONDARY ID list
- Certification from the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP)
- Company IDs issued by private entities or Institutions registered with or Supervised or regulated either by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Securities and Exchange Commission or Insurance Commission
- Integrated Bar of the Philippines ID
- Seaman’s Book
List taken from: BPI Trade FAQs

BPI Direct Savings bank is a bit irrelevant to this article’s topic which is BPI Easy Saver Account, but their website lists the following IDs as accepted valid IDs, so I’m listing them down too as reference. And oh, they only require one (1) valid ID. Please still try to bring 2 valid IDs though. Here is BPI Direct’s list:
Click to show/hide BPI Direct’s list
In opening a new account, please present any one (1) of the following IDs:
- Passport (including those issued by Foreign Governments)
- Driver’s License
- Social Security Systems (SSS) ID
- Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) ID
- Government Service and Insurance (GSIS) e-Card
- Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) ID
- OFW ID
- Seaman’s book
- Alien Certification of Registration / Immigrant Certificate of Registration
- Government Office and GOCC ID (e.g. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) IDs
- Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) ID
- Company IDs issued by private entities or institutions registered with or supervised or regulated either by the BSP, SEC or Insurance Commission
- IDs issued by an official foreign authority (e.g. foreign passport, foreign driver’s license, etc)
- For Students: School ID duly signed by the principal or head of school
- For Non-Philippine Residents: Similar ID issued by the foreign government (e.g. foreign passport, foreign driver’s license) where the customer is a resident or a citizen.
The I.D. should be:
- in original copy
- photo-bearing
- unexpired
- issued by an Official Authority (e.g. Local or Foreign Authority that is duly authorized to issue the specified ID type)
List taken from: BPI Trade FAQs
BPI staff will process your application

This is the point when the BPI staff will tell you if you can get your ATM card or passbook on the same day. If picking up another day, please bring at least one (1) valid ID with you to prove that the owner of the card/passbook is you. Mine’s not available until 1 or 2 days after application, being told by the business manager that it depends on the availability of the machine that produces Express Teller cards. Besides, I was a bit late in submitting my TIN number, SSS number, and employer’s phone number. hehe.

Got my BPI Easy Saver ATM card!

Also, if necessary, you can request that you pick-up the Express Teller ATM card from another BPI branch. In my case, I applied for a BPI Easy Saver account in a branch near my house on a week day when I was on leave from work. I need to pick it up the next day but I need to be in another city by then for work. So, BPI asked me to choose a BPI branch near my workplace and told me they will forward my Express Teller ATM card to that branch so I could get it there instead.

Step 3: Change the PIN of your ATM / Express Teller card to activate it

Within 48 hours, you need to change the pin of your ATM card! You should have been given instructions on how to do that. No? Okay, here are the instructions on how to activate your BPI Express Teller ATM Card:

Change your Temporary PIN within 2 banking days from getting your card. ATM transactions are not allowed until you have changed your PIN.
To change your PIN, go to any BPI ATM and choose “Change PIN” on the menu. Enter your new PIN when instructed. You can start using your card 1 banking day after changing your PIN.
Click to show/hide instructions for changing temporary PIN
- Insert your Express Teller Card in the ATM
- Choose the language English or Taglish
- Select “Change PIN” from the ATM Menu
- If you want a receipt, select “Yes”; If not, select “No”
- Enter your temporary PIN found in this card carrier
- Wait for the confirmation that you have successfully changed your PIN.
If you do not change your Temporary PIN within 2 baking days, you will not be able to use your card until you reactivate it through any BPI branch. Please present your Express Teller ATM card and this letter.

Good luck! Make sure no one’s watching as you enter your new pin, alright? And remember, the number on the front of your card is your “card number” while the number at the back is your BPI account number.

This concludes the 3-step application for a BPI savings account without maintaining balance. 😉

Other information on BPI Easy Saver account

Daily withdrawal limit for BPI Easy Saver account is 20,000 pesos
You can only withdraw 6 times per day
Daily EPS purchase limit is 100,000
Cut-off time is 10:00 PM daily.
You can start using your card 1 banking day after changing PIN

Update (Aug. 5, 2016): Got my BPI Easy Saver ATM Card!

As instructed, I texted BPI Legaspi-Gamboa branch today, and I was told that my ATM card is available for pickup. Yay!

The BPI staff asked me to take a seat for a few minutes and then came back with an envelope containing printed instructions and the Express Teller ATM card. Then she handed a form to me to fill up details such as Cardholder name, account number, ATM card number, and my signature.

To activate ATM card transactions on my new account, I only had 48 hours to activate it starting from when I received my card. How to activate BPI’s Express Teller ATM card? Change your pin. 🙂 I brought my new ATM card and a note with my temporary pin, and headed to the nearest BPI ATM, and changed my pin.

I am wondering though, why my total balance is 200 but available balance is only 195 pesos. Does it have something to do with the 5-peso charge per withdrawal from BPI Easy Saver accounts? But I haven’t withdrawn any amount yet. 😮 My best guess as of now is that the available balance is always the Total Balance minus 5 pesos, 5 pesos being the “allowance” or “padding”, which is reserved for any debit/withdrawal transaction that you may want to do with your BPI Easy Saver Account.

Update (Aug. 4, 2016): 2 days after application for BPI savings account without maintaining balance

I visited the branch I chose to pickup my Express Teller ATM card in the morning. The BPI manager at the branch where I applied told me it should be available yesterday, Aug. 3, if everything goes smoothly i.e. no problem is encountered by their machines. However, my Express Teller ATM card was not yet available 2 days after application because according to the BPI staff, there’s been a delay in processing all new ATM cards this week. She gave me the phone number and mobile number of their Branch so that I could check with them tomorrow. Contact phone number of BPI Legaspi-Gamboa is 822-5375 and mobile number is 0917 554 4164.

Why I chose a BPI savings account without maintaining balance

The business manager that I talked to at BPI told us about 2 types of BPI savings account: Type A is without maintaining balance but has extra charge per debit, and TYPE B has 3000-peso maintaining balance but withdrawals are free.

There is one disadvantage that I know about when one chooses to get a BPI savings account without maintaining balance: the charge for withdrawals. There’s the 5-peso charge per debit. By debit, I mean any deduction of account balance that’s initiated by the account owner. For example, withdrawal via ATM or debit transaction at a shopping mall. There’s also 100 pesos charge if you withdraw money over-the-counter in any BPI branch. Eek!

So why did I choose this over the other type of BPI savings account?

It’s because of that 3000 pesos “Required Minimum Monthly ADB” for the Type B savings account at BPI. By the way, ADB stands for Average Daily Balance, which is defined as the sum of the daily end-of-day balances in the account for a month divided by the number of days in that month. That 3000 pesos is not a small amount of money for me, and it just sits idly there in the savings account. Nope, you can’t use it! It’s the maintaining balance, remember? 🙁

My purpose for this account is for budgets, and I expect that there will be times when this account will run out of funds. Having a maintaining balance of 3000 pesos is a hindrance to my purpose.

So yeah, I’m really happy that there’s a BPI savings account without maintaining balance available because it’s very convenient for people who actually need to use up all funds in a bank account sometimes… you know, those bad times. 😆

Why we failed to open a BPI “joint” savings account

The person (let’s call her Ella) I planned to open a BPI joint savings account with had 3 IDs: her birth certificate from NSO, an expired passport, and expired NBI Clearance. BPI is very strict with account opening requirements and does not accept expired IDs. The business manager at BPI told us that when Ella has renewed valid IDs, we can then open a BPI joint savings account and transfer our current BPI Easy Saver account funds into it.

BPI Easy Saver gives clients a worry-free option when it comes to saving.

Open a BPI Easy Saver account today! Visit a BPI or BPI Family Savings Bank branch near you.

PRODUCT FEATURES:

Account opening for as low as PHP 200.
NO maintaining balance.
For a minimal fee, withdrawal transactions are made convenient.
Fees
– PHP 5* per withdrawal in any BPI Express Teller ATMs.
– PHP 50 for the Express Teller Card fee.
– PHP 100 for withdrawals done over-the-counter in any BPI Branch.
*other customer-initiated debits (OTC, EPS, and/or 24/7 banking channels)

Source: BPI Easy Saver Account

August 2, 2016

Rama Beach Resort – photos & review (Botolan, Zambales)

This was an old draft that took long to get published. 😆

The Travel

My bottom hurt from the long bus ride.

At Monumento, we took a bus bound for Iba, Zambales. The travel was over 5 hours, if I remember correctly. We had stopped over places several times, for not a short period of time. 🙁

Also if I remember correctly (Hehe, my bad for not posting this sooner), the fare was about 300 pesos per person.

The Restaurant

On our first evening we were told we can go to the restaurant for dinner until 9:30PM, so being tired from the 4-hour bus ride from Manila, we took a nap until 8PM only to find that the restaurant had already closed! We talked to a staff at the reception area, and they said that the restaurant closed because they THOUGHT we were already asleep. I think it’s not good to close the restaurant earlier than the stated closing time because of the “assumption” that all guests were already asleep. The good thing was that they still accommodated us — they fetched the chef from home back into the resort’s restaurant just to cook for us, so thanks!

We LOVED the Buko Pandan Shake. It was so creamy and has a distinct coconut taste. We tried mango and ube shake too and they were good too, but buko pandan is still their best, in our opinion. Their shakes are all smooth and unlike regular shakes, don’t have small crushed bits of ice that kind of get in the way when I sip from the glass. The Italian pizza was also nice.

The Beach

We came to Rama Beach Resort on a weekday – Thursday. We had the beach almost to ourselves and it was really clean. I didn’t like many “plants” floating because they kind of got in the way, but I put up with it. It’s part of nature anyway.

There were too many waves to just relax in the beach water. But we got used to it and had fun, going against the waves. 😆 The waves kept pushing us back to the shore, and it was as if nature didn’t want us to go farther into the sea. 🙁

The sand surface beneath the water was uneven, probably caused by the waves. But it didn’t feel unsafe.

The shore only became rocky on our 3rd or 4th day. Only a bit painful to step on.

Lucky us we did not see or brush against any jelly fish. There were also only a few crabs on the beach. They can be a pain (literally) sometimes when scurrying around in great number. 😆

The Room

The Deluxe room we had was for four people. If you are only two people, you have a big room for four. But if you come as a group of four, you use the same room but have to pay for the two extra people you’re with. So I guess this Deluxe room is more sulit if you’re only two persons.

It’s clean and spacious. It has a nice view of the backyard where one could see part of the beach. And cute dogs walking around. :3

There were two cute little monkeys too. It was fun watching them.

Hmm.. if I remember correctly, there were a few mosquitoes flying around the room. But I don’t remember being bitten a lot.

And oh, I like leaving the window in the bathroom for ventilation since there was no exhaust fan. Bathrooms need ventilation. It was situated in a high place, but I noticed someone passing by that window! 🙁 Good thing I was not naked during a bath back then. But that was a privacy issue in the room. 🙁 See one of the pics below for how the bathroom window looks. It’s covered with green mini curtain.

The Pool

The pool felt more cozy than the regular rectangular swimming pool with blue/white sides and bottom. This one had

Do I recommend Rama Beach Resort?

Yep! If you’re like me who likes peace and quiet, you might enjoy it more on a weekday. I guess this applies to any beach resort. Hehe.

Rama Beach Resort rates/prices are also good.

And oh, what a lovely view:

On Saturday and Sunday, more people began to arrive. We no longer had the pool (it was a bit small but it’s clean and a cozy one) to ourselves but that’s okay. We were worried that we might not get a good night’s sleep because of noisy guests at night, but thank goodness, they weren’t noisy at night. 🙂 There’s a note in the room doors in small text saying that loud music is not allowed after 10PM and that noises should be minimized at night. Thank you, Rama Beach Resort management!

And please do choose Deluxe room over Economy if you can. I think economy rooms don’t have aircon and are placed in a less quiet area. Check with Rama beach resort to confirm. 🙂

June 26, 2016

Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel – rates & review

This was an old draft that took long to get published. 😆

Our stay at Rockpoint Hotel wasn’t bad. It wasn’t one of the best hotels we stayed at, but it had most of what we needed.

This resort is in Laguna.

Holiday Rates (2015) at Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel

These were the rates when we went there last year during holidays:

Here’s what the entrance looks like:

Nice view here:

And the reception area was oh-so-cozy.

Deluxe Room at Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel

We booked a Deluxe Room for 1 night, and depending on availability, you can choose between twin beds or a queen bed.

The bathroom had a big hot tub that could fit two or three people. It can take about an hour to fill it with water though. The shower is in the tub area also, so when you just want to shower, you need to step into the bath tub which is inconvenient to me especially when I’m very tired and the floor is slippery. There were to sachets of shampoo with conditioner, two small bars of soap, and two toothbrush and toothpaste set. The tube of toothpaste was tiny and difficult to open. XD

The pillows of their beds were soft and fluffy. We found extra pillows in the cabinet under the TV but they didnt have pillowcase.

Other photos of what’s included in the room:

they have toothbrush and tiny tubes of toothpaste (Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel review)

they have SOME soap and shampoo (they have toothbrush and tiny tubes of toothpaste (Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel review)

The light bulbs in the bedroom and bathroom were yellow, except for the one at the table which had a white light. I personally prefer white lights because I don’t feel so well in rooms that are not bright enough. That table with white light had a huge mirror too, perfect for women who do hair makeup.

Rockpoint Hotel doesn’t have hair dryer and that is another inconvenience. Not a major inconvenience because there was electric fan in the room.

They charge corkage fee for cooked foods bought anywhere aside from their Lava Restaurant. They charged 10% for the pizza we ordered. Pizza Hut’s charge was 499 and we paid the hotel 50 pesos. It’s not that big, I guess.

Pools at Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel

Based on what I read on Rockpoint Hotel’s site, I expected 2 pools. First pool is in front of the Deluxe rooms with warm water temperature, whose schedule is 9AM-9PM, and a second pool in front of Lava Restaurant which was said to have HOT water like you’re in a hot spring, but nope! Its pool water had the same warmth as that of the first pool.

That pool in front of Lava Restaurant opens at 7AM according to a poster, which doesn’t state up to what time we could use it.

When we checked in around 2pm, there was no one but us using the pool in front of the Deluxe rooms. Everyone else was in the other pool, until about 3pm. And at night around 10pm, we enjoyed swimming in the second pool near Lava Restaurant because not a single guest was swimming there until we came there. We can say that “nasolo at nasulit namin yung pools”, but I think we were just lucky!

Peace and quiet at Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel

I like how Rockpoint Hotel actually cares about preventing noises from disturbing guests in their rooms. They have this sign that says we shouldn’t make noises so that guests can rest well in their rooms. The first pool, located in front of the Deluxe rooms, closes at 9pm, probably because Rockpoint hotel doesn’t want noise from the pool from disturbing guests at bed time. The second pool, which is in front of the restaurant anf has a nearby kiddie pool, seems to be usable even until midnight since there’s no guest room near it.

And yes, we had a quiet rest at night. But not for the rest of the day because there were many kids outside our room making noise, laughing and shouting.

Kalipayan Nature Spa at Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel

We wanted body massage for relaxation but the spa was closed. Maybe it’s by appointment only?

Food in Lava Restaurant at Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel

So here’s a gallery of some of the foods that we ordered that the Lava Restaurant:

We had free breakfast included. It wasn’t satisfying. Among the available items foe free breakfast, I chose malunggay 4 small pan de sal with cheese and eggs. It’s good enough but also something that anyone can quickly prepare at home. The coffee they serve is not even brewed coffee — only instant 3-in-1 coffee. My companion chose longganisa with rice and egg. It was okay. Since we felt unsatisfied, we ordered chicken tenders with fries. The fries served was a very scant amount compared to the picture in the menu, and the thin strips of chicken didn’t look so appetizing. The taste of the chicken breading was not bad though, but reminds me of an instant store-bought chicken breading we buy from grocery stores. The fries tasted like usual packed fries we buy from the grocery too. The dip for chicken and fries was very sour. Maybe there was too much vinegar? Meh, I guess I’ll never eat at Lava Restaurant again unless it’s free food included in our room booking.

Conclusion of Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel

So, to conclude this Rockpoint Hotel review… We stayed there on December 26 and 27, and the other guests seemed to be families with many kids. It got so noisy at times, but I was glad they were quiet at night. The pool near Lava Restaurant was not hot enough as described, and I hope Rockpoint can adjust the temperature to make it consistent with what’s written in their website. The Deluxe room was clean and cozy, but it would become a perfect if they provide hair dryer, and a shower separate from the hot tub.

June 25, 2016

Eat Bulaga’s Wally Bayola implies women are to blame for street harassment

Victim blaming. How are we able stand it? Blaming the victim to find an excuse for the act an offender has done… It’s stupid and needs to stop.

Warning: Crude words may be present in this page.

I don’t know if it’s part of Eat Bulaga’s script or it’s actually his opinion but Wally Bayola, while playing Lola Nidora in the noontime show Eat Bulaga in the Philippines, said things that implied that women are to blame when they are harassed in the streets.

Bayola was saying something along the lines of: (more…)

October 2, 2015

To avoid lines at LRT-1 Northbound: buy up to 5 coupons per transaction

I usually post in English, but this will be a mix of English and Tagalog. I’m writing this to let people know of a way to somehow shorten the lines for ticket booths at LRT-1 Northbound. It seems that not every passenger knows about the “Modified Coupon System”. Pa’no ba naman, hindi kapansin-pansin yung posters nila tungkol sa bagong system. Wala man lang ibang form of announcement.

LRT-1 Beep Card Update:

Pwede nang gamitin ang Beep cards at any LRT-1 station, Northbound man o Southbound! I’ll try to keep updating the post about my LRT-1 Beep card experience when there’s anything new to add. 🙂

If you take a Northbound LRT-1 train every night like I do, then you’ve experienced the very long lines just to buy a coupon (ticket). The coupons are being used because the Beep card system has not yet been implemented for Northbound trips of LRT-1.

Paano nga ba mababawasan ang pila sa LRT-1 Northbound?

Pwede na tayong bumili ng hanggang 5 coupons per transaction, thanks to this temporary “Modified Coupon System” for Northbound LRT-1 trips.

Meaning, the next few times you have to take an LRT-1 train Northbound, you proceed straight to the platform area, past the long line of people who are just about to buy their coupon. UNLESS may pila sa platform area dahil sa “Passenger Limit per Platform” scheme nila.

Kung may pila man dahil sa limiting of passengers, I think it’s okay. At least we skip the long lines for the ticket booths.

LRT-1 paper ticket coupon — LRT-1 20-Peso paper ticket (coupon).

Honestly, when I read about this new system, medyo nainis ako. Ang impression kasi sa akin, mapapatagal pa ma-implement ang Beep card system sa Northbound side ng LRT-1.

My game plan for my nightly Northbound LRT-1 trips

Note: Five times per week, I take a Northbound train.

Every Monday morning, I’ll go to the Northbound side of my LRT-1 station just to buy 5 coupons. Less hassle ito, kasi maikli lang usually (and relatively) ang pila sa ticket booths pag umaga. 🙂

Tapos ayun, having 5 coupons every Monday, I’ll have enough coupons hanggang Friday na, para sa gabi-gabi kong pagsakay sa LRT papuntang North.

Mas okay kesa gabi-gabing pipila sa ticket booth diba?

Alternative on Mondays: Minsan may kahabaan din ang pila sa Northbound pag umaga, so pwedeng every Monday night pipila tayo para bumili ng 5 coupons. :3

Pa-kwento lang ha…

This week I noticed a new poster at an LRT-1 station pero hindi ko gaano mabasa kasi sa super babang part ng dingding ba naman dinikit, natatakpan ng legs ng mga passengers na nakapila sa ticket booths. So hinanap ko sa Twitter ni @attycabs and @officialLRT1. Found it! Heto siya:

Modified Coupon System for LRT-1 Northbound. To view in full size, right-click above image (or press and hold if you’re on mobile / tablet) then click on “open link in new tab”

Then I asked LRT-1 staffs, just to confirm, if I could go straight to the platform area for as long as I have extra coupons. I was in doubt because there was one night when I think I heard a guard telling a lady that she still needed to fall in line even when she already had a coupon. That was before I saw posters of the “Modified Coupon System” at LRT-1 Northbound stations though.

So tonight, I took a little detour. Dumaan muna ako sa mall na kadikit ng LRT-1 station na sinasakyan ko. Yung top floor kasi, may exit na diretso na sa entrance to the platform. Tinanong ko muna yung guards, “Pwede na po dumiretso sa loob? May ticket na po.” And they said, pwede na.

It was a less stressful evening. Di na ko naging parte ng mahabang pila papuntang ticket gates. Swerte din dahil walang pila sa platform area sa station ko. Try niyo na rin! 😀

September 17, 2015

Subic Park Hotel review, taxi rates, and places to visit in Subic

In August, a companion and I wanted to get away from the city during a long weekend. We didn’t want to go somewhere too far from Manila, and were looking for just a little adventure in the trip.

Because of that, we decided to go to Subic Bay Freeport Zone. 🙂 I’m going to include a Subic Park Hotel review in this blog entry, as well as a list of places that we visited in Subic. It was a fun, unforgettable Subic trip to me. Mostly because of Zoobic Safari and Xtremely Xpresso Cafe.

Without a car, we either walked (we like walking!) or took a cab (all rates are fixed per destination). Places we visited were Zoobic Safari, Xtremely Xpresso Cafe, Meat Plus Cafe, Freeport Exchange, Duty-Free Puregold, an S&R Pizza place with no membership required, and the beach somewhere behind Subic Park Hotel which didn’t seem good for swimming or dipping.

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