My experience in NBI Clearance Application, June 2013 at Ever Gotesco Mall Recto
Let me share with you my experience in getting an NBI Clearance this year 2013. This article is not meant to be a guide for NBI Clearance application but only a record of my experience, but I am planning to make a separate article with an actual guide and tips in getting your NBI Clearance.
I paid via GCash and entered my details online at NBI-Online.com before booking a schedule and going to the NBI Clearance Center at Ever Gotesco Mall, Recto.
NBI Clearance Payment at Globe Payment Center
Long story shortened: I paid for me and my mom’s NBI Clearance at the Cashier at the Globe store at SM San Lazaro, then took note of the reference numbers and date of payment. I chose GCash over Pinoy Pera Padala (PPP) because the PPP branches are all far from my place.
The following includes my story in detail, including some frustrating event.
Last Sunday (June 23, 2013) I went with my BF to the Globe store at SM San Lazaro to pay for my NBI Clearance and for my mom’s via GCash. Not being a Globe subscriber, I didn’t have much idea how GCash works, but I read that it’s either you have your own GCash so you pay for the NBI Clearance through your phone, or you don’t have GCash so you go to any Globe Payment Center to pay through them.
I asked the receptionist at Globe what I need to do to pay for NBI Clearance via GCash, to be sure. He told me to go to Globe Customer Service, where a guy at Counter 7 told me I need to register my own GCash first before I can do that. I told him that I wanted to pay for NBI Clearance through the Globe Payment Center because I don’t have my own GCash, but he said no, and that I need to register my own GCash to do that. Frustrated, but trusting the Customer Service guy and determined to get the task done within that day, I purchased a Globe sim card so I could get my own GCash. I did the KYC thingy and lined up to the Customer Service again for ID validation and picture-taking. The queue was long. While at it, I told my BF that the process is confusing me, and that I’m wondering why I need to register my own GCash when others said that one can pay at Globe Payment Centers if he/she doesn’t own a GCash. By whim, my BF asked a Cashier lady about it. The Cashier lady told him that if we don’t have GCash we can just pay there at the Cashier! I was so mad at the guy at Counter 7! I told him I wanted to pay right there via GCash because I don’t have GCash, and instead of saving me the hassle and redirecting me to Cashier, he made me buy a Globe sim card and register for GCash, both of which I don’t really need. I just went on and got through the validation process and picture-taking for GCash too, para hindi sayang yung pinila. Good thing the guy at Counter 7 was no longer there, or he would see it in my face how upset I was at him.
And so, I paid for two GCash transactions at the Globe store’s Cashier, both 140 pesos for local employment and ID purpose but paid a total of 320 pesos because of convenience fee / service charge. So I guess there’s additional 20 pesos charged per transaction. I took note of the two reference numbers and the date of payment at the receipt.
Filling out personal details at NBI-Online.com
I filled out me and my mom’s personal details online on the evening of June 23, 2013, Sunday.
First, I registered our accounts using our own email addresses, as well as the reference numbers and date of payment from the GCash receipt. Because the reference numbers, date of payment, and email addresses that I entered were valid, I received a confirmation code from NBI-Online in my email inbox. When I entered that code into NBI-Online, the system allowed me to proceed to filling out our personal details. I had to be very careful in typing our details because I think they are not editable once saved.
Getting the QR Code from NBI-Online.com and printing it
When everything was filled out, QR Codes were generated for our NBI Clearance application. I had them printed on June 24, 2013 at a computer shop because I don’t own a functioning printer. :p
Booking for an appointment at NBI Clearance Center / Outlets
The NBI Clearance Outlet at Ever Gotesco Mall, Recto is the most accessible from my place. On June 25I texted the following to 0917-563-8054:
BOOK 123456789 EVERRECTO 06272013 0800 Firstname Lastname
123456789 being the reference number I got from GCash, 06272013 the date June 27 2013, and 0800 the time 8AM. I believe that the format I used was correct… or is it not? Let me know, because the system rejected it, saying “NBI HELP DESK: Invalid Date/Time range! Using the book format provided, set appointment of your choice on a WEEKDAY date, from 8AM(0800) / 10AM for malls to 4PM(1600) in military time format.” All online resources that list the NBI Clearance Centers, including NBI’s own PDF about booking, state that the Recto branch is already available by 8AM. And 0800 time should be valid because, look at their example, it uses 0800 as the appointment time. I tried 0900 and got the same rejection message. Then I tried 1000 and finally got the booking confirmation, which arrived not a minute past the time I sent the booking request. My guess about the rejection is either Ever Recto’s NBI Center opening schedule had changed from 8AM to 10AM, or the booking system actually has “limited slots” per time and the 8AM and 9AM schedule were already full when I attempted to book those times.
Going to NBI Clearance Outlet at Ever Gotesco Mall, Recto
Mom and I were at the NBI Center at Ever, Recto around 9:45AM. The applicants are fewer than I expected. I thought we were going to wait for at least 2 hours, but we were done in 1 hour. But of course, I got a hit like last time.
According to online resources, what online applicants of NBI Clearance should do upon arrival at the NBI Center is first take the eClearance Lane before proceeding to Step 3 and 4. I asked the guard where online applicants should go because I couldn’t find any sign for eClearance Lane, and he told me we should just proceed directly to Step 3. The queue’s progress was fast, but still took longer than the Step 3 (Biometrics, Fingerprints, Photo-taking) and Step 4 (Releasing) – I mean, the entire process was really faster than I expected!
I was really worried about my mother’s NBI Clearance application because she doesn’t have an updated government-issued ID. Her passport has expired. Her only valid ID is an NSO-issued birth certificate, which of course has no photo of her. Also, being a married woman, I think she needs to present marriage contract too (the copy she has right now is old and not from NSO) – and I had forgotten to request it for her at NSO! But thank God for answering my prayer – she had no problem with IDs. Before entering the NBI Clearance Outlet, I saw a statement above the list of valid IDs that says “You need one of the following”, and the NBI Clearance staffs at Step 3 barely looked at our IDs.
By the way, online applicants of NBI Clearance were asked to write down Father’s Name, Mother’s Name, Nickname, and Address on the sheet of paper where our QR Code was printed.
Our picture was taken and all fingers were scanned for fingerprints. If I remember correctly, the fingerprint recording before was with ink and not done digitally.
Release of NBI Clearance at Step 4
There’s a queue at the very far right side of the NBI Center where people line up waiting for their names to be called. It’s either you get it on that day or at a later date. My mother, having an unusual name, got hers released immediately. Mine, of course, had a stupid hit again like before. It is for release on July 4, but I already have work by then! My parent’s won’t be able to claim it for me so…. >_< argh!
My comments about the currect NBI Clearance Application process
I think that getting NBI Clearance at Ever Recto is not tiresome, especially if you don’t get a HIT. The lines were actively moving, showing that their system is efficient.
I wish that the hassle that getting “hit” can be alleviated. It is a hassle especially for employees/students because they need to come late or be absent from work/class for two days just to get NBI Clearance. There are 2 possible solutions I can think of:
- Hit is determined during online application before the applicant actually goes to the NBI Clearance Center. Though this may be impossible right now because of their current system/procedures.
- Avail NBI Center services on weekends
Update, July 4, 2013: Today’s when I was asked to come back for my NBI Clearance. I was there at Ever Recto by 8AM but we were only allowed to go in at 8:30. By the way, there’s a separate queue for people who are coming back for “releasing” due to hit, and another queue for those just applying for NBI Clearance. For less than 5 minutes we waited, seated, outside the cinema where NBI Clearance Outlet is. People lined at the Releasing queue put their recept/slip inside a designated box and waiting for their names to be called as the staff printed the NBI Clearance for him/her. It was over by 9 and thank God, I arrived at the office on time. xD
