getting an nbi clearance at the galleria satellite office

Image care of superonline.co.in

This is how small, brown envelopes figured in my quest (yes, quest talaga?!) to get an NBI Clearance.

I'm in the middle of completing my requirements for my new job and among the things I had to submit was an NBI Clearance. It has been a while since I last got myself one, and was quite surprised with the  long, long lines at the satellite centers at the Quezon City Hall and at Robinson's Galleria.

Getting an NBI Clearance basically consists of four steps: 1) payment, 2) encoding of your details, 3) photo and biometrics-taking, and finally, 4) claiming. You have to queue separately for each step so it can be a test of patience. Thanks to Google, I found out that you can actually accomplish the first two steps online - by paying at their partner centers, then encode your details yourself by logging on to www.nbi-online.com.

I went to the Pinoy Pera Padala center along Kamias Road. The female staff was very accommodating and at least, I managed to avoid queueing over and over again. I was all set to pay P140 because according to the NBI site, the service charge is P25 and the charge for clearance itself is P115. But the staff told me to pay P190. When I asked what the extra P50 was for, she said, it was for the encoding services. Naisip ko, sige na nga, at least I didn't have to bring out my laptop to do the encoding myself and payment ko na rin sa printing since she printed the form that I would need to present at NBI.

With the form in hand, I headed back to Robinson's Galleria. There's a separate, shorter queue for the online transactions so that was convenient. Pero pagdating sa step 4, medyo naloka na ko.

When I queued to claim my NBI Clearance, I could hear the lady in charge asking for P5 sa bawat taong magke-claim. I hurried to get a 5-peso coin from my wallet, but then I realized, I already paid the fees (may extra pa) so what was the P5 for?

I asked exactly that when it was my turn, to which the lady replied that it was for the envelope that she hands out along with the clearance. So optional naman pala. I told her, dapat ina-advise yung mga tao na may choice sila to not get an envelope instead of just demanding for the payment. Ang style kasi niya, iaabot yung clearance na kasama na yung envelope, sabay hingi ng limang piso. E syempre, kung pumila ka na nang ilang beses, malamang pagod ka na at gusto mo nang matapos, kaya babayaran mo na lang yung P5 without asking questions.    

Since my clearance was not yet ready when it was turn, I took the chance to advise the people behind me in the queue na pwede silang hindi kumuha ng envelope. The lady took the cue and saka lang siya nag-abiso na magbayad ng limang piso "kung gusto niyo ng envelope."

Hello, NBI! Try po natin yung Daang Matuwid as suggested by PNoy. Hindi lang pag may time, kundi all the time! Sa dami ng kumukuha ng NBI Clearance sa inyo, ang laki na ng kinita niyo sa mga envelope na yan. I was talking to the other person in line who said that P5 is already a big amount for someone like him, who had to commute all the way from Bulacan just to get his NBI Clearance. Many people get an NBI Clearance as a requirement for employment, meaning wala pa silang sweldo, pero eto napeperahan na agad sila. Oh the irony.

If I only had the time and energy to advise everyone in line na they don't have to get that darn envelope, I would've. I'd like to bring this to the attention of the NBI but I can't find an email address I can write to.