NBI Clearance at Robinson's Otis

I needed an NBI clearance for job application purposes so I went and got one. Other blogs said that Robinson's Otis was the best place to get an NBI clearance.

I reached Robinson's Otis at 6AM. There were already a few people waiting there. At around 7AM, the security guard had us lined up. I was expecting that they would let us in by 8AM.

8AM went by and still we haven't been asked to go inside the mall. The taho vendor kept telling us that the process will actually start at 10AM, by the time the mall opens. Some of us thought it was just a ruse so that we would buy from him.

But true enough, they only let us in at 10AM. By that time we were already exhausted from the heat outside.

The NBI Clearance Center was at the 2nd floor of the mall. They had us sit on the chairs used for Sunday mass while we filled up the application form.

Second step was the payment, which was P 115.00.

The third step was the having our fingerprints and photo taken. They already used biometrics so it was a breeze. However, they were still using a webcam to take photos.

Fourth step was to wait for the NBI clearance. I only waited for a few minutes before being called to get mine.

Waiting for the mall to open actually took longer than the actual process of getting the NBI clearance.

Apparently, the center at Robinson's Otis is only open from 10AM to 7PM. One can actually come there at a later time (around 8-9AM) and still be one of the first 50 persons.

Some tips:

1. Bring a pen. Honestly, I cannot figure out why some people (like the one beside me) could NOT bring a pen when applying for an ID. He brought a pocket book but he did not bring a pen. What's wrong with you? LOL.

2. Bring water, food, a fan, and hankies. There's a drugstore and a coffee shop that opens earlier than the mall but it would be better to bring your own food so that you wouldn't have to leave your place in the line.

3. Only 1 valid ID is needed. I don't know about the other centers though. I only used my birth certificate, and I didn't even have to show it.

***Update***

Due to the NBI's system upgrade (more like a downgrade), I got a hit when I applied for clearance this year (2014). It took a week before I got mine.

Also their encoder sucks. She didn't even let me check if there were wrong spellings in what she typed in.

Oh and the old man whose task is to print the documents? He asks for Php 5.00 from each person and gives them a measly small brown envelope - which by the way goes unused since most people bring their own plastic cases. No receipt. NBI (and BIR), maybe you can check on this?