I had to travel to Spain in November because of a family urgent issue. I had to obtain the health permission and more paperwork done just to travel to Manila first, then in Manila my PCR came positive (totally fake) so they transfer me to a hotel (Prince Manila, not too bad and free) to stay isolated inside the room for 10 nights with a new PCR (negative) done 4 days before the last night, and then I could go to the depressingly empty airport to take a plane with face shield all the time required (Qatar, Emirates only mask)
The most stressful event were during immigration clearance to leave the country because I didn't got an ECC as usual: the lady in immigration told me that if your stay was less than 12 months it could be done at the airport BUT the officer in the airport told me that it is not exactly true, it is a "privilege" that only the officer in chief can grant, but in the end I could pay the ECC directly there and fly...
Once in Madrid I prepared my trip back around the end of December but had to present a lot of papers to get a visa (as a parent of a filipino minor, not married): birth certificate of my daughter, barangay document stating that my daughter was actually there, and the usual photocopies of flight tickets, hotels, etc... My visa came on December 30 when the restrictions were tightened so I had to change my tickets to February 1 but suddenly my Emirates flight got cancelled because it was exceeding the maximum port of entry capacity, and the first flight available was on February 22 to Clark (first available to Manila was March 1) which I took.
At check in there was no need to present a PCR test (now it is very easy to get fake ones) so they prepare a big space in the gates after leaving the plane to fill more forms and pay for a PCR that is to be done after the 5th day in a approved hotel.
Then the IATF 101 came on Febrary 26 saying that travelling through PH should not be restricted with quarantines or PCR tests, so I didn't contact the Dumaguete DoT that was before a requirement (with quarantine hotel stay of course) So when I tried to flight I was rejected because I was not in the travel authorised list... I was told that Dumaguete Dot (or DoH..) needed time to implement the new rules (how stupid of me to not ask...) so I had to send another batch of paperwork to Dumaguete including an already expired PCR test... so in the end 2 days later after making sure I was not required to do another quarantine I could fly...
Arriving to Dumaguete we had all our bags sprayed with some kind of stuff (that is not new here in PH), fill some more forms (of course!) and off I go!
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Page 51 of 232
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- Thread: Returning to Dumaguete
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Notmyrealname DI Forum Luminary Highly Rated Poster Showcase Reviewer
If anyone enters another person's property without authority, it is very likely they intend to cause harm. The occupier has every right, IMO, to take effective preventative action and not wait to see what occurs (when it might be too late).
Allow me a shotgun and I would paint my walls with anyone who tried to act against my home, without clarifying first if it only my money or if it is my life they seek.-
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Crystalhead ADMIN Admin ★ Forum Moderator ★ ★ Global Mod ★ ★ Moderator ★ ★★ Forum Sponsor ★★ ★ No Ads ★ Highly Rated Poster Showcase Reviewer Veteran Army
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Awesome news. An additional happy day moment. 6 wild rabid brain dead animals put down. Good riddance.
https://www.rappler.com/nation/2457...yaf-bandits-killed-sulu-clashes-november-2019-
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- Thread: expats in bike accident
In your hypothetical situation the alcoholic made a sober decision to drive to a bar. Yes, the bar owner shares some responsibility for allowing him to get as drunk as he did and for putting him on his vehicle but the alcoholic knew d*mn well why he was going to that bar and he should be held responsible for his actions. The "disease" (and I really have a hard time agreeing that addiction a disease) does not give the person a pass on responsibility.
An alcoholic is not the same as a 5y/o child. It is in no way comparable. Addiction does not turn people into brainless zombies that are only interested in drinking beer, snorting powder or lighting up the pipe. Addicts do sober up, they do know right from wrong and they do know what drugs do to them and the people around them. Being weak/incapable of controlling themselves does not excuse addicts from their actions. I've personally felt addiction try to take over, I've heard the thoughts the mind thinks when it desires a substance or when a problem comes up and the only reasonable solution seems like drugs. I see how it can be a very slippery, and steep, slope but you need to have a bit of sense and know when to back away from whatever substance is starting to control your thoughts and actions. Addiction is not something that blind sides you and changes your life permanently (unlike an intoxicated driver on the road), it's gradual.
I have no sympathy for the intoxicated driver and I'd expect no one to have any for me if it were me who was behind the wheel intoxicated. I have never thought about suicide but the shame I would feel knowing I killed an innocent person because I made myself lose control could very well bring me to it. The only sympathy I have for alcoholics is that their drug of choice is perfectly legal and available almost everywhere they go.-
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- Thread: Why do expats love Dumaguete?
A horrid response to this question has diverted what might be an interesting discussion. The rebuttal BobBski offered seems great to me. But the question might be usefully answered by asking "What do I as an expat like about Dumaguete?" Very briefly after having visited a few times and stayed to study and send kids to school there, let me say: Great quiet little town, peaceful as one can expect. A university ambiance, maybe not the best, but pretty good schools. Silliman has a decent library. Waterfront area is great fun, attractive, clean, good food and drinks at bargain prices. The Filipinos and expats are friendly and gentle for the most part, and the occasional bigoted drunk makes the rest of us look good by comparison. So even they have their uses. I especially like the accessibility of airflights and passenger ships. And yes, there are lots of attractive college women, thanks for that. But they are hardly flinging themselves at fat old foreigners, as I, being one, can attest.
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- Thread: Traveling to Cebu ?
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DavyL200 DI Forum Luminary ★ Global Mod ★ ★ Moderator ★ Highly Rated Poster Showcase Reviewer
Allan Hyrons, 70, and his wife, Wilma, were rescued by the troops of the 2nd Special Forces Battalion under the 11th Infantry “Alakdan” Division of the Philippine Army at Mt. Piahan, boundary of Barangays Silangkan and Taha in Parang, Sulu at around 9 a.m.
They were taken at gunpoint by unidentified attackers at their resort in Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur on October 4, before being brought to various hideouts to mislead the pursuing troops.
Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Mindanao Command (AFP-WestMinCom), said the troops have been conducting pursuit operations for three days straight already when they finally caught up with the terrorists.
“Sunod-sunod na tatlong araw na engkwentro natin (We engaged the group for three days straight) since they were on the run. We took advantage of it and we really pursued them,” Sobejana said.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/11/25/soldiers-rescue-british-couple-from-asg-captors/-
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- Thread: Where to Eat?
Yeah, that's how these go. OP blazes through making a handful of posts over the course of a single day. One of those posts is borderline spam. Doesn't make a single reply in any of the posts. And one of the threads takes on a life of it's own with the expats talking to each other about subjects they already know about.
It's a good idea to glance over the history of the thread (pay attention to dates) as well as a quick assessment of the OP so that you know you aren't replying to a zombie or posting into an echo chamber.-
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There will never be any reliable statistics in regards to property sale prices due to the fact that most sales are registered with an undervalued amount to save on the closing costs-
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- Thread: I GUESS NOT EVERYONE LIKES US
ChMacQueen DI Forum Patron Highly Rated Poster Showcase Reviewer Veteran Army
Sure, there are a lot of foreigners here chasing young girls, many just to young. There are some really sick foreigners here as well. I'll admit that, but not all of us are.
However what should also be mentioned is that so many of these *younger* girls you meet lets say under 21 most have a horror story if you get to know her long enough on how a filipino boyfriend, family member, neighbor and such forced her, raped her, tricked her, and so forth. Some may be just pity stories or because they are to shy to say the truth but many are very real. The culture here is such things are no big deal as far as the police go and if the father doesn't chase him down with a bolo and give out family justice then its all good.
The culture is also one that teaches Filipino's that Filipino's are just not good, just not beautiful, and just not worth anything. To be anything one must be a hyphenated Fil like Fil-Am or so forth. The TV stars, movie stars, beauty queens, and so forth are almost always mixed and very light skin. This leaves many feeling if they want to improve their worth and families worth they need foreign blood added in yet they don't even realize this but simply pursue it. I'm no good looking hunk but am a younger foreigner here with near 7 years experience. I have met and briefly dated a few Filipina's who were educated and late 20's to early 30's who said they weren't looking for a relationship but simply wanted to have a kid with white skin... quick turn off to me.
So remember, whenever they point a finger at us they have 3 more pointing back at themselves. Its past time Filipino's take responsibility for their own passive failures in their culture.
With that said I still love the Philippines and the people and country have a lot of great things. Its just time to stop blaming foreigners.-
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