Passport renewal might seem mundane, but for Mom Violy and Carmina, it becomes a journey filled with laughter, tears, and unforgettable lessons.

A year ago, Mom Violy told Carmina that her US passport would expire in October 2025. Carmina mentioned she could renew it online, just like she did with hers. By the end of 2024, after booking a California trip for April 2025, Mom Violy decided to wait until the start of the new year. In January 2025, Carmina reminded her to renew before their vacation, but Mom Violy insisted there wasn’t time and she’d handle it in California. When they flew on April 30, 2025, immigration in the Philippines warned her about the upcoming expiration. Upon arriving in the US, Carmina suggested renewing at the post office, but others warned the process could take longer unless she paid extra or extended her stay. Mom Violy, a dual citizen with US and Filipino passports, kept changing her mind. In the end, she blamed Carmina for the situation, laughing it off, though family members questioned why she waited so long. Before leaving San Francisco, Philippine Airlines staff asked if she had another passport since hers was within six months of expiry. She used her Filipino passport, and upon returning to the Philippines, was told again to stop delaying. Sometimes, stubbornness means learning the hard way that things should be done ahead of time. Mom Violy said she’d renew once she recovered from jet lag.

One month later, Carmina was done with excuses and went ahead to fill out the forms through the US Embassy Philippines and printed out handed to Mom Violy.

I told Mom Violy that you’re going to have your 2x2 pictures, and to make sure you don’t wear any jewelry and keep your hair behind your ears. Mom Violy said she’d prefer to mail it for the US passport instead of going in person to the US Embassy.

Carmina had paid Mom Violy's US Passport through the website given at Pay Gov using her credit card.

I received a notification and email, then printed out the payment and attached it to Mom Violy’s US passport renewal forms. Later, Carmina found out that Air 21 no longer works with the US Embassy and told Mom Violy she would need to go in person, unless she used a different courier, as the documents might get lost in the mail. Carmina booked an appointment for Mom Violy, and luckily there were plenty of open slots. She called Mom Violy to confirm the date and time—Thursday, July 17, 2025, at nine in the morning—and added her name so she could accompany her. Carmina printed the appointment confirmation and mentioned she would go inside the US Embassy with her. We arrived early, gathered all the forms, and handed them to Mom Violy to present to the security guards. At the main door, we were told to remove and turn off any electronic gadgets, hand them over, sign a form indicating how many cellphones we had, and receive a number to present upon exit. After passing through an x-ray and handing in bags and jackets, we entered the main building, reached a counter where the staff checked the forms, and were directed where to go. I was told I couldn’t accompany Mom Violy to the window, but I could wait in the seating area. We took the elevator to the second floor, where Mom Violy waited for her number to be called. When her turn came, she went to window #6, where she was told to pay for LBC courier service located near the elevator and to fill out a small form with the delivery address.

Two months later, Mom Violy began to wonder why she hadn’t received her U.S. passport. She later found out, after receiving a call from the U.S. Embassy in Manila, that it had been lost in the U.S. postal system along with others applied for at the same time. The embassy informed her there was no need to pay the $130 fee again—she just needed to make an online appointment with a renewal application form to have it processed. Carmina followed the same process and was able to schedule Mom Violy’s appointment for Tuesday, October 28, 2025. The U.S. Embassy was very strict with security this time—no candies were allowed unless for medical reasons like diabetes. They took my candies and suggested I eat them all, but I ended up tossing them in the provided garbage bin. We had to wait outside in the designated area since we arrived thirty minutes before our scheduled time, but electric fans and restrooms were available for those who needed them. Mom Violy finally received her U.S. passport on Saturday, November 15, 2025, after a call from LBC, who delivered it to her home. She is now happy and worry-free.

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