How to Replace Lost SSS UMID

My cellphone together with my Unified Multipurpose Identification Card was snatched from me a few months ago. More about that here. I had a “free day” this week which I decided to use productively by re-applying for that lost/stolen card.

Here are the steps for re-applying for a lost UMID card. I hope this helps those of you with the same predicament.

I fist secured an affidavit of loss from Bulacan Provincial Capitol in Malolos, Bulacan then proceeded to SSS Branch in Longos, Calumpit , Bulacan inside The Cabanas. I had a very fast and smooth transaction in that branch. Staff were courteous and knowledgeable with their job – even the security guards were so useful/helpful.

1. Click this link for a downloadable copy of UMID Application Form. From the “Instructions” on the second page, the list of identification documents (primary and secondary) required are listed. Any one primary document will do. For the secondary, you have to submit any two. Print the application form and fill out.
2. Furnish an Affidavit of Loss from any Notary Public (Php 100). No need to prepare anything to secure this affidavit. Just be clear on stating what specific document or card you have lost and check on every details of the affidavit before signing as “Affiant”. Usually you just have to provide your name, civil status, and complete address. You should be given two (2) notarized, signed and dry-sealed copies upon payment.
3. Head to any SSS Branch with a Teller or Cashier section. I first tried SSS Branch in Waltermart Guiguinto but I was told that they don’t transact anything which includes payment in that branch. Malolos Branch is open as early as 7am during weekdays so that’s where I went.
4. Head to the information desk and state the purpose of transaction. Show the filled out form so you can already be given a que number to booth #7 where you can obtain R6 Form Form (Social Security System Miscellaneous Payment Form).
5. Go to the Teller Section and line up there as you fill out four copies of R6 Form. Pay three hundred pesos, Php300.00. That’s all you have to pay for this entire replacement of ID transaction. Two copies of R6 form will be returned by the teller.
6. Go back to booth #7 (without queue number this time, just wait for the seat to be vacated). She’ll get one copy of R6 Form then you will just be given another queue number here for lining up at the Data Capture section.
7. In the Data Capture section, someone will input the details on your application form. Check all data inputs on the screen in front of you. They’ll also get your thumb and index fingerprint biometrics on both right and left hands. You would have to provide your signature specimen (don’t hesitate to ask for a retry if your signature came out like it isn’t yours the first time); and finally a camera headshot of you without eyeglasses, earrings or other unnecessary accessories and with your hair pulled/put back. If you can, wear a top with sleeves and collar.
8. Expect the Acknowledgement Stub to be given to you. Keep this while waiting for nine (9) months for your new UMID – to be delivered at the address you specified in the application form. Yes, nine months! As in long 9 nine months equivalent to one full-term human gestation. If you were on Day 1 of pregnancy when you applied, baby’s already coming out you still don’t have your UMID card. This is based on my own experience. I followed up through email twice. They reply but I’m not sure if you have the patience for their response. They’ll tell you that after 4 months, they’ll be sending the card to the courier already, expect it in one month more. You’ll follow up again and they’ll quickly reply telling you to wait for one or 2 months more – they’re still sending the card through the mail. I wish my case was the worst. I hope you really get yours in 4 months as they promise or even less.

How to Save a Flushed Cellphone

           Sometimes life hands us a series of unfortunate events to which we respond to stupidly. I just burnt a pair of pants. Some 12 hours later, I flushed my Samsung J5 2016 in the toilet bowl. Flushed. My Cellphone. Into the Toilet. Wow!

             It just dawned on me that when I am happy I seem to act overly ecstatic. As a young kid, after my parents came home from Manila to buy us new clothes and Lego toys, I bumped my head into wall as I happily and haphazardly lie in bed. Now, from the relief of how my report at work is going, I mindlessly went in to the restroom and did something stupid that could’ve caused me my third cellphone in the span of a year.

            My Cherry Mobile Flare S4 got snatched from my Jansport bag after one Sunday Mass when I was so happy because of a conversation between me and a priest. I went to Malolos market feeling light, positive, happy and all that. Maybe my faith in the goodness of people was just all too out there that evil took notice and wanted to take  that happiness away. That was my first time to be snatched off of something. My SSS UMID ID was in the pocket of that cellphone’s cover.

            So I moved on and replaced that stolen cellphone with LG G4. This time, I used it without any protection whatsoever and broke its upper right corner screen. I was pissed off with a coworker at that time, then come break time I headed to a bank to withdraw money. I was about to enter the bank’s door but my cellphone slipped from my hands.

            I knew the replacement will cause me thousands but since it was still working so fine, I did not bother to have it repaired. Some months after, it had trouble recharging until it heats up alarmingly. Logo will appear longer than usual when being started until time came that the only thing it does is to restart and restart. I was told by the service center that the motherboard has to be replaced already since reprograming it won’t be of help. Replacing the motherboard also meant me paying cash which is also tantamount to a new LG G4. Warranty was void because of the broken screen and I couldn’t do anything.

            Nobody, even LG and Smart would want to listen to my concern and reasoning. I later found out that LG really has this very bad reputation when it comes to replacement of parts and aftersales. That’s unfortunate as its camera is really good if not the best there is for mobile phones. When I purchased G4, it was the only handset which could shoot at raw.

           So I moved on to Samsung J5 2016 after giving it much thought. I bought it for 12,000Php just maybe 3 weeks after it was launched in the Philippines. The moment I bought it, I already received a screen protector and a cover as gift from a friend. I promised myself I would take much care of it and was doing just fine until what happened last Thursday.

            Imagine me seeing on my Facebook memories that I had just bought my LG G4 a year ago and here I am again, settling on Myphone J1 Mini, a bestseller of this low-end cellphone brand while waiting for my Samsung to dry up completely.

            I decided to write this post to drop you guys some tips on what to do when you accidentally had your phone soaked in water and injected it with pressure at the same time (ex. you flushed it in a toilet bowl, forgot to remove it from your laundry and tossed it inside a washing machine, jumped to a swimming pool while cellphone’s inside your pants, flood).

            It was a blessing in disguise that the accident happened inside a restroom. There were plenty of tissue paper and there was a hand dryer.

1. Do not lose your presence of mind as you have to be on top of the situation. You got to act faster than the water can short circuit the device. Remember that you have only one goal: dry up the device completely to avoid the electronic parts from short-circuiting.
2. Immediately turn off your cellphone. In my case, I wanted to long press the power off button but my phone doesn’t seem to want to do that as it had to prompt this message that one sim card is already not recognized. Then, it vibrated. Somehow vibrations on cellphones already traumatized me as this was what was happening to LG G4 before it completely malfunctioned.
3. I dried the exterior with toilet paper before opening it just to make sure I don’t add up to the water inside. Remove the sim cards, micro sd cards and battery (if you can).
4. Bury the phone in uncooked rice. For me it helped because it absorbs moisture plus it served as insulation from too much heat as I had the phone sleep overnight inside the office’s generator room. This was the first 24 hours
5. I did not turn it on until 3 days have passed. On the second day, it was sitting on room temperature, still buried in grains of uncooked rice. On the third day, I removed it from the rice letting natural air dry it up some more.
6. I turned it on and thank God that it’s still working. Sim card settings for MMS and mobile browsing had to be set up again. This usually doesn’t occur if I just removed then reinserted the Sim card so that got me wondering for a bit but I think things are still working fine. So far so good but of course I’ll still be on the lookout for things that could go wrong because of unseen corrosion of electronic parts.
7. I did not get to do this on the first 3 days, but I got some sound advice to wipe the phone with isopropyl alcohol to lessen chances of corrosion when the phone dries up. I did that after just because.

          Samsung earned my trust. For android, it’s still the way to go when resiliency is what you’re after. For the next 7 days, I won’t go to the restroom with my phone. I’ll be glad if this phone works and won’t get snatched for at least a year more. After that, I’ll accept its fate which lies in my hands, no matter what it is.