I decided to get a Philippine drivers license, by the time I get would get back to the States my Nevada license will have expired and I will need a valid license for a car rental at the airport.
Thank goodness my stepson was on holiday from England to help me out. After he did google searches a lot of questions were still unanswered and conflicting.
So he made two photocopies of all relevant documentation I had, we also brought the originals. (US drivers license, ACR Card, Passport, NBI clearance)
Upon exiting "Grab" at our destination, a tout "grabbed" us to lead us to a Doctors office around the corner for necessary medical & eye test. Going up a narrow creaking stairway we were in the office. There were several people in front of us and I watched the procedure. Eye test, color blindness test, blood pressure, height & weight. Don't get any necessary letters or forms from your private Doctor, as I later saw a sign on the wall of the Transportations Dept of their approved Doctors.
I don't know how anyone could have failed the eye test, after watching several people doing the eye test and me sitting close to the chart, I knew the letters just by osmosis, last line: FDPLTCEO. Not that I needed to cheat, my eyesight is 20/15 without glasses. (after cataract laser surgery at St. Lukes in Manila).
The fee was about 600 pesos. Once out on the street another tout (called a fixer) would solve all our problems getting our Philippine license for $100 USD. After a good laugh we were on our way without him. Upon entering the department of transportation, the guard at the Information & Complaint desk, informed I we could not enter because I was wearing shorts. But he said there is a place around the corner where I could rent Jogging pants for 50 pesos.
Now mind your American size & Philippines sizes which may be the same numerically are vastly different. My jogging pants were the largest size they had, maybe large for a Filipino but very small for me. With my stepson & wife tugging I just managed to get the pants over my private parts, thank God I had a long shirt hanging out. It was no fun walking, felt like I was pulling a 100 pound sled tied around my hips.
Now once inside the interior of the building, the Transportation Dept shared their office space with a church or visa/versa which had Friday services going on, the church loud speakers could have been used at a rock concert.
We were also approached by another fixer offering their services for 1000 pesos which we declined . At the clerks window we presented all our documentation, but the passport photocopy only shown the bottom portion, so we had to go out and get new photocopies. It was difficult talking to the clerk through the window with all the back ground noise from the church. Moving on to the next window for finger printing. After about 20 minutes they called my name for the photograph. I ended up looking like Casper The Ghost on my license. The cost of the license was about 600 pesos. I received the actual license after another 20 minute wait and left a happy camper.