Renewing Driver's License (5-year Validity) at SM Manila

I would like to share my experience about renewing driver's license at SM Manila's DLRC (Driver's License Renewal Center), which is located at the 5th floor, last October 17, 2016. Sorry, no photos, though.

I arrived at SM Manila at around 9:45am since I wanted to get ahead of the long line and finish early. Unfortunately, the mall opens at exactly 10am and by the time I got to the entrance, there was already a long line outside the building. There is a separate line for males and females, while there is a special line for senior citizens.

After the mall opened, I immediately went to the DLRC. Since it was still early, the number of other applicants was tolerable (there were probably around 10-20 people already ahead of me). The office is not so big and the number of chairs were limited, so a lot of the applicants had to remain standing. Make sure to bring a pen since you will be filling out some forms. These are the steps that I undertook in order to renew my non-professional license: (Note that these steps may vary, depending on the branch.)

1) Surrender the old license to the front/receiving desk and get a copy of the ADL (Application for Driver's License) form.
2) Fill out the ADL form or you can also download and print from LTO's website) and submit to Evaluator Window.
3) Wait for your name to be called for the medical exam (vision test) in one corner of the office. You would just be required to read a bunch of letters from a certain distance. This cost P200.
4) Wait for your name to be called again for your photo and signature to be taken.
5) Wait for your name to be called again to pay at the Cashier. Since the day of my renewal was the start of the 5-year validity period, the cost was P652 (P585 license fee + P67 computer fee) instead of the usual P417 (3-year validity). I didn't mind the additional payment in exchange for the extra two years.
6) Wait for your name to be called again. Since there were no available ID cards, I only got my official receipt, which would serve as my proof of license. It would also be what I would present to claim my ID card when they become available.

In total, I spent around an hour to finish the process. The later you arrive, the longer the line ahead of you, and the more time it would take to complete your renewal, so my advice would be to go there early (unless you're a senior citizen, in which case you might get special treatment, hehe).

For inquiries, you may contact SM Manila's DLRC at (02) 525-2646.

Hope my info helps. Feel free to share your experience.