Covid-19 Chronicles: December activities with the kids

 2021 December

21 December 2021

Our milestone for December is applying for our Philsys National ID. :) Yay!

Having a National ID is beneficial for identification purposes in the Philippines and, best of all, it's free. Other ID's that you can apply for, but may incur fees, include passports (P950) and a postal ID (P500). 

Also, usually any business transactions require 2 valid IDs, but maybe not anymore; still, it's better to have at least two, just in case. 

Several satellite offices opened in malls, and the closest one to us was at Robinsons Otis, so that's where we went.  We didn't get to take pictures inside because we were immediately able to process our applications as soon as we got in. We thought that more people would jump at the chance to apply for their National ID, but the satellite office was almost empty except for us. 

So, we breezed through the application, screening, biometrics scanning, and digital imaging. We got a Philsys Transaction slip after all the steps were done.  This was proof that you applied, and you will need to present this when claiming your National ID card. 

UPDATE 2023:  Dylan's ID and mine were delivered to the house sometime in May 2023!  Dana didn't get hers.  The delivery guys said hers would follow in the next batch.  

UPDATE 2026: Dana still hasn't received her National ID. And, apparently, you're not allowed to get it printed yourself.  The digital copy should suffice if you need to show a valid ID. So, we continue waiting for hers. 

After a speedy National ID application process, we all headed to Robinsons Manila for some yummy lunch. The kids chose to eat at Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken. This was our first time eating here, I think. 

We chose a Family Meal with a whole chicken, several sides, Java rice and drinks. It also came with different sauces, with the Cajun one being our favorite. We certainly took our time savoring the many flavors of this meal.  

After eating, we just went around the mall to pass the time. 

23 December 2021

It seems that we're packing all our errands during this month. :)

This time, we had our eyes checked and glasses made at our neighborhood optical clinic.  Okay, not at Gulu-Gulu hahaha We were inside the store facing Gulu Gulu. :)

 

Dana got her eyes checked first.  It's actually been years since her last checkup, and we were kinda thinking she may need thicker glasses. But we worried for nothing. :)

Dylan also got his eyes checked, and he picked these frames.  The kids look like nerds now hahaha

2021 Christmas Day

Christmas Day was spent with just the three of us.  We didn't cook much, just the regular home-cooked spaghetti and pesto bread from Pan de Manila.

We did "splurge" a little on a whole Yema cake from Rodillas which was delivered straight from Quezon.  Thank God for entrepreneurs hahaha

Later that week, more family members came to stay over with us!

It was a busy December but we had a lot of joyful moments to cherish.  We're looking forward to the New Year and to Covid restrictions easing up in the future.