New Passports!

Initially appeared on vox.com on 2/20/2009.

So today i got our new passports in the mail.  They're supposed to be "machine-readable" and more secure.

I must say that i'm not terribly impressed.  Aside from the "face page" (pics of which won't be posted here for privacy concerns), there isn't much to crow about.  As far as i can tell, everything else is about the same.  I doubt that there's an RFID tag in there somewhere.  Also, i much preferred the green color.

The interesting thing about this whole story is how painless the application process was.  We showed up at the Philippine Consulate in Chicago around noon (no lunch break?!) and promptly filled out the forms (application forms available here).  We then headed downstairs to get our pictures taken.  (Note that while there are specific requirements that a regular person may not be able to replicate at home, the Walgreens on the first floor does an adequate job of fulfilling them - no need to get pics taken at the travel agency of the 15th floor - which charges a premium).  After submitting everything along with $165 ($50 each for the passports and $15 to mail it to us), we went out to lunch.  All told, it took less than an hour.

One thing i kicked myself in the head for was forking over so much money and not receiving a receipt.  Back home, doing so in a government office would be one of the surest ways of making sure you end up poorer with nothing to show for it.  And so for the past 5-6 weeks i've been worried about whether or not we'd get our passports or if it was just a big scam.  Well, lo and behold, here they are!

An efficient way to get passports?  Honest government workers?  There's hope for us yet.