Yesterday at about 8 am I had a telephone call from the Dumaguete Field office of the BOI (A remarkable thing in it'self) the Young Lady asked when I would be calling into the the office to Pick up my Passport left 2 weeks ago, (nothing new there you may think) but there is a problem sir so you should call in. I was going to town anyway to meet friends so I told her I would call in about 11.30, OK that's Good (now another Remarkable thing) she jokingly said but you need to go to the Bank First. OH! why? Well sir your OR is 2750 peso short. Hmmmmmmmmmm. OK now what. So it now transpires that to get your ECC your ACR card has to be current. Mine will run out late May and I will leave to do a Visa Run in June. So now we have to have a current ACR card or the Receipt to show it has been paid PRIOR to the Application date of the ECC OH! said I and when was this new thing thought up. OH! Sir Peter is in Manila at a Seminar/Conference and he rang to say we must get all those Leaving soon who have expiring ACR's to make the application and pay. ( This of Course means that things are moving at least in Dumaguete as to who is where and they Now know it.) So as an addition she knew I had done the ARP as the Number is on the Paperwork for the Extension so again she said but all that will be leaving Must do the ARP and certainly before Sept, ( I have mentioned this before here.) seems Big Brother is among us and although we may moan at things, it would appear that there was/is a reason for all the extra things we had to Do. The Downfall of the day was that I handed the 2750p over for the card but she could do nothing as Peter Bueno is not there and there is no ACO cover. Which Means my friends ( According to her) Monday will be his first day back so nothing is going to get done on Extension etc for a few more days. However when I went to the office she said of Course anyone who has to extend this week should still go and pay this week but nothing will be done until either very late this week or possibly early next week but the dates have to be put on the Application to correspond with permitted stays. Now we all know, how things change so check each day to see if he is back if issues need Him to sign anything off. Telephone number for Dumaguete office (035)-225-4401 JP
It must be the week for it, I need a new Australian passport it can not be applyed for more 6 weeks before its due( 15th of June) it has to go to Austrilia to be processed taking 21 days. B.I. here told me i can only have 1 month visa extension .OK that gives me 28 days, BUT wait Peter is not here so i loose a week . Now i will face a find on my next visa if the passport does not get back in time.
