If you had a valid stateside license then you were being trolled by a fixer for p500. With Valid U.S. State license you automatically qualify for a non-professional PI license just pay the approx p600 fee and take the stupid eye exam and it's done with no seminar needed ever! If not, like when I allowed my PI license to expire for 2+ years (forgot to renew it and my state side license had also expired by that time) I sat the test and passed it in Tagalog first time (I was hard headed and refused to pay the stupid fixer fee). Plus the test is really easy even if you don't understand the language. They're written for uneducated pinoys to pass! Lots of pictures and diagrams!
I didn't have a state license as I haven't driven in the states for many years before I came here. When I got my license and when my ex GF got hers we were told we had to go to the seminar at 9am and when I arrived they told me that as a foreigner as I wouldn't understand to just pay 500p. My ex GF did the seminar though and at the end they charged her 500p saying it was the fee for the written test which she never got and they just gave her a license. This was probably about 6 years ago as well. My fiancee we just went through the fixer who really just speeds the process through getting your name to the top of the pile. Total cost 2k peso's but also our time is valuable to us and we'd rather not waste the entire day and we figured the seminar crap thing was still the norm.
Only took me about 3 hours to get my license in Dumaguete and that included finding parking, walking two blocks to find the place and get a physical, copy place within 20 meters of the Doc-in-the box. I should say it took that long to get the paper slip/receipt. The plastic took another 6 weeks.
PRA said my getting a license is one of the services they provide. So I'm going to go through PRA when I am going through the SRRV process. Of course, I'll lets you all know what tht whole thing is like - hopefully quick and easy. V/R, nwlivewire
I gave a guy at lto in Robersons Mall 4000 p and he gave me my licence and one for my partner who has never driven a car or rode a bike.
I HAVE HAD AN ALMOST MOMENT MY LAST TRIP TO MANILA!! THERE HAVE BEEN POSTS AND ALSO NEWS PAPERS STORIES ABOUT SOMEBODY AT DUMAGUETE AIRPORT HAS BEEN PUTTING A BULLET IN THE LUGGAGE OF FOREIGNERS!! WELL MY WIFE & I ONLY USE CARRY ON BAGGAGE, FOR WE ONLY STAY A DAY OR 2 AT THE MOST!! SO WE ARE ON OUR WAY OUT TO THE PLANE, WHEN AN AGENT OR CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSON OVER SEEING THE LOADING! AS WE APPROACHED HIM, HE REACHED DOWN AND TOOK MY ROLLER AND STARTED TO PUT IT WITH THE CHECKED BAGGAGE!! I SAID THAT I WANTED TO CARRY THAT SUITCASE WITH ME!! HE SAID IT WAS TO BIG! NOW I KNOW IT IS NOT TOO BIG!! SO I TOLD HIM " IF YOU TAKE MY BAG, THEN YOU TAKE EVERYONE ELSE BAG IN THIS LINE ALSO"!! BECAUSE MY BAG IS SMALLER THAN ALL THEIRS!! THEN I WALKED OVER TO MY ROLLER AND GRABBED IT, AND STARTED BACK TO THE PLANE AGAIN!! I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT POST UNTIL WE WERE IN THE AIR!!
Permanent residents get a license. Should be no problem for you with SRRV. It is new people not on retirement visa, unmarried to a local that have a problem after the first 90 days. There are a lot of people staying long on tourist visa. If the Philippines wants to seriously thin the herd of people on tourist visa, I think this is a good start. I actually thought the Philippines was going the other way when they instituted the 6 month LSVV. Now I think they are schizophrenic. Like, OMG! the LSVV is going to work! Lets put a stop to it!
