what not to do at the BI

[bluemoon 2]

I posted that a long time ago. Now of course everyone is different, but i generally advise NOT to bring along wife or G/f. (Unless one is sure, she is a good and taff one who can deal with the authorities appropriately)

Reason is simple:

 

Most Filipinos brought up to be submissive and obedient to authorities and accept any "suggestions" made by authorities. Plus being shy and the "faceloss" and all that.

 

There are a few other reasons, but above is mainly why i generally do not advise to take the partner along. Also one learns a lot in the process of doing things himself.

 

 

 

Very good post Sir,

 

only few filipinas are taff and strong enough to deal with so called ' officials '. they just complicate the situation and so the issue takes more time.

 

by way, an advise is NOT an order .............. you can take it or ignore it

[Bob Ward 321]

Very good post Sir,

 

only few filipinas are taff and strong enough to deal with so called ' officials '. they just complicate the situation and so the issue takes more time.

 

by way, an advise is NOT an order .............. you can take it or ignore it

 

Maybe the ones you are hanging around with! Now I know why I don't read or post that much lately. But I do understand why many foreigners here gravitate towards the less intelligent Filipinas, (notice the capital F out of respect?) water seeks it's own level! LOLOL BTW_ how many Filipinas do you know from Wales?

[Bob Ward 321]

trouble is, 90% of the guys in the BoI offices you see with girls aren't there because they're from the provinces and they're seizing the opportunity to buy a tub of decent mayonnaise while they get the chance. They're not there because they're helplessly in love and can't possibly be seperated for even a couple of hours. They're in there because the girl, the family, wants to maintain control and never let the cash cow out of their sight, or else the guy is such an old fool or such a newbie he can't do anything by himself.

 

You are just digging yourself in deeper. In this particular case you don't have a clue what you are talking about. People who "visit" here often and think they are experts are some of the most dangerous ones out there to listen to! They understand things from a surface perspective and give advice far too freely at times.

[washingtonian88 137]

This is why many old wise folks have done things the way they do...

When dealing with getting something done by any government office --- bring your patience and easier would be that you know someone who reports to someone higher.

 

 

“You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”

 

 

Now about these expats who are nothing but liabilities anywhere they go....

I heard a local business say, "let them stay here, spend their money here, they're just rude and that's not illegal, let's grind our teeth for them, smile at them, let them lose their minds,

UNTIL they have nothing and return to whereever they're from

This whole business is afterall part of our country's income ---- selling hospitality to the world. Let them buy it."

LOL

[Englishman_on_Tour 3]

I'm not going to quote 'RON C' but i'd like to thank him for brightening up an otherwise dull day. The irony was top class :evan_iliadis:

 

I posted that a long time ago. Now of course everyone is different, but i generally advise NOT to bring along wife or G/f. (Unless one is sure, she is a good and taff one who can deal with the authorities appropriately)

Reason is simple:

 

Most Filipinos brought up to be submissive and obedient to authorities and accept any "suggestions" made by authorities. Plus being shy and the "faceloss" and all that.

 

"Negotioations" are most likely made in the local lingo, which complicates the matter, because she has to translate..

Depending on the reactions of previous negative experiences with the beloved one, the Filippina will most likely lie in the matter of money asked under the table in order not to raise a scandal. She will say, that the official fee, although she paid a fat bribe.

 

The immigration is very aware of the foreigners unwillingness and persistence when asked to pay money, they have had numerous problems with Embassies and Consulates because of this. If the "fees" have been paid by the female counterpart, it is hard to prove afterwards, that the bribe has not been "offered". It is even hard to prove that there ever was one.

 

The official in the BI are human and generally quite experienced. They can (sometimes falsely of course, but seldom) judge a "book" by its cover. So appearance is number one ! Next is the (wrong) logical assumption that a grown up person which can not handle this uncomplicated Immigration formalities by himself, is sort of easy to victimize. Plus the former fact that the woman are "victimisable" in their eyes. Exemption: The "taff" ones, but the officers can see which ones are those too.

(Personal anecdote : That was the only advantage of my psychopathic ex wife, if things got difficult, she dealt with it. Alone btw.- I was outside smoking a ciggy and felt pity for the Commissioner, made some friends that way, because the Immigration guys felt pity for me living with her...its a guy's thing )

 

There are a few other reasons, but above is mainly why i generally do not advise to take the partner along. Also one learns a lot in the process of doing things himself.

 

I really dont get this advice at all unless you're just coming from a 'hopeless kano who can't or refuses to do anything for himself' angle?

 

I dont have a problem moving around the smaller cities alone but I still find travelling around Cebu alone pretty daunting so having the gf come with me to BoI is a necessity, just to get there. However, once inside then it really is my business which I take care of. Negotiations, for what exactly?. Maybe I'm just lucky and nobody has approached her in the BoI office?. Even if they did I'm too kuripot to be parting with more than I have to

Edited August 20, 2011 by Englishman_on_Tour

[Bob Ward 321]

Guenther is well versed in and on he Philippines, but nobody is perfect. He is wrong on this one I hate to say. First, corruption at the BoI has diminished considerably in recent times. Secondly the chances of someone approaching your SO for bribes is ultra slim irregardless. Actually my wife has gone with me a couple of times in the past after they were trying to hit me for money. They never even thought about it with her there! So, there is not a one size fits all here! LOL

[udonthani 2,027]

I dont have a problem moving around the smaller cities alone but I still find travelling around Cebu alone pretty daunting so having the gf come with me to BoI is a necessity, just to get there.

 

I don't get this at all. With its profusion of meter taxis (most cities in the Philippines don't have them) the Mandaue office has got to be one of the very easiest to get to out of them all and I've never come across a single driver that didn't know where it was even if their English was bad and I had to show them the address on my cellphone.

 

I just find it baffling why anybody would want to bring a girl there. I've never had any official trying it on, in fact last time they let me off 1000 pesos overstay fee because I'd got it into my head I was due to extend two days later than I needed to, and I was late two days. Just why would a girl, from the kind of background most of them come from, be any better than me at asking them the staff politely to do me a favour, and let me off, like they did?

 

even when I was with a girl once and we were heading on to Bantayan afterwards, I didn't have her stay in the office with me. She dropped her bag and just went to her sisters who lives nearby for 90 minutes until I'd finished, and then came back and we got another taxi to the bus station to get to Hagnaya. What possible benefit is derived from her sitting there bored for an hour and a half. The Mandaue office is quite spacious, but not spacious enough to have a game of scrabble there. Basically if you need 'support' doing something as utterly straighforward, albeit tedious, as getting an extension in the Philippines from a BoI office, there's something wrong with you. 'Support' for what?

Edited August 20, 2011 by udonthani

[Englishman_on_Tour 3]

I don't get this at all. With its profusion of meter taxis (most cities in the Philippines don't have them) the Mandaue office has got to be one of the very easiest to get to out of them all and I've never come across a single driver that didn't know where it was even if their English was bad and I had to show them the address on my cellphone.

 

I just find it baffling why anybody would want to bring a girl there. I've never had any official trying it on, in fact last time they let me off 1000 pesos overstay fee because I'd got it into my head I was due to extend two days later than I needed to, and I was late two days.

 

LMAO, I'm just happy to know I'm not the only one you stalk.

 

Where did I mention taxis? When in Rome...is how I like to spend my time in Philippines. Trikes wont take me to Mandaue, jeepneys are difficult unless I get front or absolute back seat (I cant see a thing when stuck in the middle somewhere), I'm simply not used to getting taxis alone in a place where I dont know the streets (we all know about drivers getting lost). Oh, and many cities, especially in Mindanao, dont have taxis. So sorry Sir for not being so acquainted with Cebu.

 

You find things baffling, I find getting into a situation of overstaying baffling, especially with your experience. I can see you being the new 'RON C' one day, how it all went wrong for you, good luck with that. I noted in your response you went from my 'need' into 'want'. I'll delete the rest of your post as 'unread'.

[udonthani 2,027]

few cities in the Philippines have taxis, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro are probably the best two cities for taxis out of the places I've been, and CDO is in Mindanao - if you need to get an extension there tell them to go to Mabini Street, they all know that, though many fewer of them will have heard about the BoI office there than in Cebu, just because there's only a fraction of the number of foreigners in CDO as there is in Cebu. Drivers won't get lost getting to such an obvious place as the BoI office in Mandaue. Just in case you didn't notice, Cebu city is not actually that large. It's roughly the same size as CDO, which is also not that large.

Edited August 20, 2011 by udonthani

[Englishman_on_Tour 3]

few cities in the Philippines have taxis, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro are probably the best two cities for taxis out of the places I've been, and CDO is in Mindanao - if you need to get an extension there tell them to go to Mabini Street, they all know that, though many fewer of them will have heard about the BoI office there than in Cebu, just because there's only a fraction of the number of foreigners in CDO as there is in Cebu. Drivers won't get lost getting to such an obvious place as the BoI office in Mandaue. Just in case you didn't notice, Cebu city is not actually that large. It's roughly the same size as CDO, which is also not that large.

 

LOL, it's 5am there, just go to sleep man. Again, I've not mentioned CDO, I've never been there, sigh, pffft. I might be wrong here but Mandaue isn't exactly Cebu City? Your points (whatever they are) are totally irrelevant to my questions to Guenther. Goodnight.

 

Edit to add..I'm thinking you might not be in Phils right now, you're actually in UK, smoking pot?. Maybe you should find some like-minded friends and turn the computer off?

Edited August 20, 2011 by Englishman_on_Tour

[Mandingo 3,625]

I just find it baffling why anybody would want to bring a girl there.

 

Because they are our wife's or our girlfriends and we love them. I'd be different if they were some simple minded, desperate poor girl that you chat with a couple times and then come over to shag as cheaply as you can.

 

Even though my wife is in the States now with me I like to do things with her, both here and there. Like what Bob said, make a day of it and go have lunch and do some shopping afterward.

[udonthani 2,027]

the BoI is 100-110 pesos in a taxi from Fuente Osmena and takes 30 minutes usually, so not that far but further than average, yes. Actually thinking about it, there are easier places to get an extension in the Philippines, provided you have the name of the street in your cellphone to show the driver, which you can just get off the internet. Tacloban, Dumaguete are so small you can get a trike. CDO, you can also get a trike or even a jeepney, as the office is situated in the center of the metro area, close by to the largest shopping mall in the city. But getting an extension is something a little special, not something you do every day, or even every month. Therefore I'd normally take a taxi. Once I had a girl drop me off on her motorbike, and she picked me up two hours later on it when I was done. There's just no reason for them to be in there.

[Englishman_on_Tour 3]

the BoI is 100-110 pesos in a taxi from Fuente Osmena and takes 30 minutes usually, so not that far but further than average, yes. Actually thinking about it, there are easier places to get an extension in the Philippines, provided you have the name of the street in your cellphone to show the driver, which you can just get off the internet. Tacloban, Dumaguete are so small you can get a trike. CDO, you can also get a trike or even a jeepney, as the office is situated in the center of the metro area, close by to the largest shopping mall in the city. But getting an extension is something a little special, not something you do every day, or even every month. Therefore I'd normally take a taxi. Once I had a girl drop me off on her motorbike, and she picked me up two hours later on it when I was done. There's just no reason for them to be in there.

 

You've finally said something that makes sense. Yes, getting an extension is something a little special, which is why it's worth observing rules and regulations, dress codes etc. It is also the rare occasion I do take a taxi, I'm not comfortable carrying important documents around with me. Because I rarely take a taxi, there's no reason for you to attack me on a forum. Isn't this why cannabis is illegal in most countries :evan_iliadis:

[udonthani 2,027]

Even though my wife is in the States now with me I like to do things with her, both here and there. Like what Bob said, make a day of it and go have lunch and do some shopping afterward.

 

let's say you have some kind of similar, elementary but time-consuming bureaucratic task to perform in the states. Are you seriously telling me that if you have to renew a tax disk or something, go into some office, you have to pull a ticket out of a machine, fill in a form, and wait your turn to get served, and pull out a wad of cash to pay the bill, in other words what you do in a BoI office in the Philippines, you bring your wife with you? Wouldn't you just meet her somewhere else for lunch after you've finished?

[udonthani 2,027]

Because I rarely take a taxi, there's no reason for you to attack me on a forum.

 

what is this? What attack?