My Not-So-Random Ramblings

Sometimes, I pretend to be normal. But then, who am I kidding? All photos are mine unless stated otherwise.

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Everything you need to know on how to get your SSS UMID card

Hi! If you’re wondering how to get and apply for your SSS UMID card, then you’ve come to the right place (or blog). I just want to share with you all my first hand experience when I applied for my SSS UMID card on January 19, 2016. I’m just indicating the date because the process and/or requirements might change over the years.

I consider the SSS UMID card as one of the easiest government issued valid ID’s that you can apply for, along with the TIN ID (Tax Identification Number ID). Compared with the Voter’s ID which takes years to get issued, the SSS UMID only takes 3 to 5 weeks. Plus, they deliver it to the address you filled up on the application form.

Let me give you 3 reasons why you need to own at least 2 valid ID’s:

1.        You need it for identification purposes.

It’s to validate who you are. The ID’s will come in handy especially when you and your friends enter a casino or bar and the guard mistakes you for being underaged. This happened to me quite a few times and I only had my TIN ID with me. They asked me for another ID and I think I showed them my ID when I was in college. That did it! I bet they were horrified with my picture. Lol

2.       You need it if you want to open a bank account.

Recently, we went to BPI and inquired about their requirements on opening a bank account. We only need one primary ID which I don’t have. Yup! The TIN ID is not considered as a primary ID, it’s only secondary. We could also present 2 secondary ID’s but I think with my 2 years and a half of work experience, it’s about time I own a primary ID. #signsofaging #suchadult #wowmature #muchserious

3.       You need it when claiming money remittance abroad.

This is another experience I encountered when a friend of mine from Dubai sent me money to buy concert tickets we would both be attending when she comes here for vacation. Apparently, Western Union only accepts TIN ID for domestic money transfers. So, I had to tell my friend to send the money to my mom’s name instead.

Here’s a picture of the ID’s they accept:

Okay, so now that I’ve convinced you to apply for a valid ID. Here’s how I got mine:

http://philpad.com/how-to-get-umid-card-online-sss-gsis-pagibig-philhealth-requirements/

I salute Ms. Fehl Dungo for creating a truly helpful blog! :D

I’ll just be adding some teeny weeny bit of information that’s not found there.

First of all, download the application form and fill it up ahead of time. 

This is so that you wouldn’t miss any details like your SS number.

The downloadable application form can be found here:

https://www.sss.gov.ph/sss/DownloadContent?fileName=SSSForms_UMID_Application.pdf

Second, photocopy the ID’s you are going to be presenting. 

They didn’t took the photocopies I made but it’s better to be sure to have one just in case.

Here’s a screenshot of the ID’s they accept:

In my case, I presented my TIN ID and ATM card. Don’t forget to bring both the original and photocopy of our ID’s.

Third, follow the dress code for your ID picture to be taken. 

I learned this the hard way. I gave my verified application form to the woman assigned to take my picture, signature, and fingerprints but she just stared at me for a solid 5 seconds until she placed this tiny piece of paper in front of me. I was wearing a sleeveless top but what frustrated me was the fact that I already talked to 3 people before her and they never said anything about what I was wearing. Not to mention the fact that in the SSS branch I was in, they took noon breaks without anyone replacing their post. Take note: there was a huge “No Noon Breaks” picture on their walls.

Apparently, if you fill up your application form in the branch itself, they give you this paper. I downloaded mine so I was totally clueless that there was a dress code. Thankfully, I was only a jeep away from my house and I was able to get my picture, signature, and fingerprints taken before they close for the day.

Lastly, be there early!

I was at the SSS branch at 11 AM and I was finished past 2 PM. You will be spending a lot more time waiting for your number to be called versus the time they validate your details,  take your picture, signature, and fingerprints.

The woman and the guard told me that it would take 3 to 5 weeks before I get my hands on my SSS UMID card outside my doorstep. I would just have to present the acknowledge stub and authorization letter if someone else is going to claim the ID for me when I’m not at home. If the ID still does not arrive within 3 to 5 weeks, the guard said that I could come back and verify the status of my ID there. But I think I’d just give them a call if that happens. #tamad

There you have it! Hope you guys learned a thing or two from reading this lengthy blog entry. I’ll probably write another blog post when I receive the ID or maybe just update this one. Until then, go and get ‘em valid ID’s! Gotta catch them all!

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https://soundcloud.com/nish-salvatierra/tadhana-sample

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Kimchi from Mr. Kimbob

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Red sauce spaghetti with meatballs 

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My first and last Anberlin concert 

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Oh, hi there! 

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Seafood Gambero from Pancake House

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Quiapo Adventure: The Search for a Legit Camera Repair Shop

I can’t remember the last time I got to use my camera’s autofocus. It must have been eons ago since I was given a crash course on photography by a friend of mine on how to toggle the manual settings of my red Canon EOS 1100D.

Photo grabbed from canon.com.ph

Thanks to him I was still able to take decent pictures even with a broken autofocus. Autofocus was everything to me and I felt sorry for my high-end DSLR camera because I wasn’t using it to its potential.

My camera was my 18th birthday gift from my dad. It has been with me throughout my years in college and it was only after college that its autofocus started malfunctioning. I would turn it off and it would work again when I turned it back on. But then, at some indefinite point in time, it finally gave up on me. And this is exactly the effect dramas have on me. My writing becomes a little more dramatic. You guys should watch You Who Came From The Stars. I highly recommend it!

Moving on, it took me a while to have it repaired because I got so used to using its manual settings. However, whenever we had to take a group picture, I had to adjust the settings first before handing it over to someone else to take the picture. That was always the scenario. It would take a little effort if I was included in the picture. What’s funny is that I got to teach a few people on how to manually use my camera. Procrastination at its finest, huh?

With the long weekend because of the Papal Visit to the Philippines, I seized the opportunity to have my camera fixed. I read on a couple of blogs before finally deciding to go to Quiapo myself. I was hesitant to go there because of the reputation of the place but I was left with no choice because I’m sure that if I brought my camera to the nearest Canon service center, then it would be expensive. That’s what I read from the blogs. So, I mustered up the courage to go to Quiapo with my mom on a Saturday afternoon. We took the LRT Line 2 until Recto station and the LRT Line 1 to Carriedo station.

The scene below LRT Carriedo station on a Saturday afternoon

From there, we asked the guards on duty where SM Quiapo is. I honestly don’t know how to explain how we ended up finding Dong’s camera repair shop with the directions the guards gave us.

It was the first camera repair shop that we saw and I was happy with the P1, 200 he was charging us for it to get repaired. It went down to P1, 100 after my mom nagged the repairman. He took the lens and left the camera’s body with me. We sat there for about 40 minutes admiring the different kinds of cameras displayed around the repair shop.

Until he came out and asked for the camera’s body. I could tell that the autofocus was already functioning properly at that time because it was retracting when he was taking test shots. But there was another problem that he saw with my camera. There seems to be a black spot that appears on the upper right corner of the newly taken pictures. He asked me if I noticed it whenever I take pictures but it was the first time for me to see it.

He took it back in, cleaned the inside of the camera, and gave it back to me to take some test shots. The black spot was gone and my camera looked brand new. Turned out that it was a grain of sand that I must have acquired from our beach getaway last year. He then issued me with an official receipt with 2 months warranty. I was planning on going on a photowalk but my camera’s battery won’t permit it. I’ll definitely go back there for a legit photowalk and if ever I need any other accessories for my camera.

You can reach them through these numbers:

733-75-91 & 736-26-56

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Inspired by V's cover :)

Hope you like it! 

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Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015!

A clean slate as defined by JimiBiz of Urban Dictionary, means starting anew, with a fresh approach. A clean slate begins with the action of 'wiping the slate clean'.

And with that, I present to you my Slate 2015 Planner.

I have previously owned 2 planners so far, and I always stop writing in them even before I reach the month of June. It’s either I get bored or lazy halfway through the year. I bought mine at National Book Store for P599. You can also order from their website.

The Slate 2015 Planner has a simple dark brown wooden-looking exterior but is filled with mind-blowing artworks in the interior. The visual works gives off a feeling of wandering inside an art museum. I’ve decorated mine with the stickers that I got from PULP Magazine’s Issue no. 160 Bazooka Rocks III. I guess this planner is for the straightforward ones who really want to get things done on a certain amount of time.

The reason for buying yet another planner is because I feel that this year would be more hectic than the previous one because my best friend will be visiting the country for a week, I was asked to join the events committee in planning for a sports fest for the company I work for, the classes that I plan to take up for this year, just to name a few.

If you haven’t bought a planner yet, it’s not too late! Check out Aimee Dacanay’s article on spot.ph about the 50 Best Planners for 2015.

That’s all for now! Let’s all have an awesome 2015!