Welcome to the Philippines? I think it's not your first day. It is what it is, nothing you can do about it. If you get stopped at a checkpoint just show them your receipt and say, "sorry lto out of stock sir". Everyone will get a laugh and they will send you on your way.
I was there yesterday at Robinsons, I asked the Lady at the Health Check Up, why I have to pay 200PhP, I argued that their poster only mentions 100PhP, her reply was, that 100PhP were to pay the rental of the LTO Office!!! As for the blood pressure reading, mine was 153/90 and I said, maybe I should check with my Doctor, she said then, maybe your blood pressure is high just today, that made me suspicious of her BP-Monintor...
Do you have to have a Philippine licence to drive there ? I have been scooting around for many years thinking my aussie licence was ok , apologies for the ignorant question , but being set straight on this will be worth it , Tony
Actually you may be getting the latest theory from the West, that people are stressed when they get their blood pressure tested in a doctors office resulting in higher than normal readings.
next time you enter the phills, within the 90 days go get your licence it will be easier than going through the bs with testing etc, yes they check your entry date on your p/port
no need for a local driving license. If you get stopped they want your registration. if they check your license, show your original and tell you arrived 6 weeks ago. nobody will control your passport ever (would not believe the statement in the post above by any means). They may ask for an ID. The ACR-I is good enough as a valid ID, so is your driving license from your home-country.
I guess everyone's mileage will differ. I got stopped in early December in front of Camanjac Elementary School and did not have my registration papers with me. I offered to go and get them (200 yards up the road) and the officer said "No need" We are only checking Driver's Licence today" If you have that you are OK to go".. I did have it and I left with no problems.
Great first stop by Highway officers. I was stopped at a check point about 18 Km south of Bacong by two well dressed National Highway guys in a nice van, not like the rag tag teams around Dumaguete. We had a short discussion about their jurisdiction, and they said they were responsible for all of Negros Oriental. I have been in the country over 3 months. I had a new motorcycle at the time, but no papers. When I was asked about the papers I told them I was not given any, so they suggested I go back to the dealer. When they asked for a drivers licensed I gave them my California drivers license. They looked it over and handed it back. They wanted a picture of my motorcycle, so I asked for fair play and got a photo of the three of us, all with big smiles and arms on each other shoulders. It was a great time. They sent me on my way and everything was OK, no paperwork, no license just smiles. BUT... that had one important question: "Was I going to marry a pretty Filipina?" My response was that "I would not marry an ugly one"... and everyone left. I went over to Mike Beach's resort for lunch with the pretty Filipina I was with that afternoon. When I looked at the California Driver's license I had given them, I noticed that it had expired 13 years previously. These guys were nice, but apparently did not have much of an appetite for enforcing laws that afternoon. I hope everyone else has a great experience at there first stop. I obviously did not take it too seriously and they did not either. With full bellies and not one else around there was probably felt no pressure to act macho with a foreigner. I had seen them at the public market down the road, so maybe they were just friendly.
