Getting an NBI Clearance - Robinsons Cybergate Cebu

NOTE (August 14, 2013): This is an outdated blog

entry. For the updated 2013 version, click here.

Robinsons Cybergate Cebu has an NBI Clearance Center housed on the mall's 3rd floor. Getting an NBI clearance is fast and easy - the actual processing takes only about 20-30 minutes. But, you may have to endure a very long queue which might take hours!

Queuing Up. In my case, when I arrived at around 9:45am, I had to stand in line outside the mall (through the heat and dust) for about three hours, and around another hour seated at the waiting area inside the mall (air-conditioned and more comfortable). Then, there's a final queue at the clearance center, where you will also be given a form to fill up while waiting for your turn.

Requirements. Just two requirements are needed: the duly-accomplished clearance form you filled up, and a valid ID. School IDs, company IDs, government-issued IDs (SSS, Postal, Voter's, PRC, driver's licenses) and passports are among those which will be accepted. In lieu of a valid ID, you may also present your original NSO birth certificate or police clearance (and I heard that even baptismal certificates will also do).

After your patience is tested will come the easy part. You'll undergo these four steps:

1. Payment - Pay P115 for each purpose that you indicate on your clearance form.
2. Encoding - Watch the monitor, and see to it that the data entered is correct.
3. Biometrics - The NBI will take your picture and fingerprints.
4. Releasing - If you're clear, then you can get your NBI Clearance instantly!

Notes

• NBI Clearance Center is open Mondays thru Fridays, officially from 10am to 5pm. The mall itself opens at 10am, but the security guard told us that they start operations as early as 9am.
• If you are still on the outside queue by noon break, a guard will let you write your names down on a paper. Note your number and come back by 1pm to re-queue according to the order written on paper.
• You will be given priority numbers just before entering the mall.
• Only 100 people will be allowed in the afternoon. If you're 101st, you will be told to come back the next day. (But you might probably want to try to plead your case, maybe, just maybe, they'll reconsider.)
• If your NBI record has a hit, you'll need to come back after three weeks. But the good news is: you won't need to queue again!
• For local purposes, your NBI clearance will be yellow-orange. If your purpose is to travel abroad, it will be green.
• If you're wondering, there's no more new clearance or renewal. Everyone goes through the same process.

It was already almost 4pm when I finished. After what I went through, I felt like the NBI clearance I was holding was some precious reward. I would recommend though, that if you're going to get an NBI clearance, go to the center as early as possible, so you would also finish earlier, as I would, should I need one again next time.

Update (August 14, 2013): For the current entry on how to get an NBI clearance at Robinsons Cybergate Cebu, click here.