With all due respect, but that sounds a little condescending. It is the 21 st century, and society in many countries has moved to single family homes, in many instances totally unfit for taking care of an elderly family member. Moreover, families often get scattered around a country or even the planet over the course of their lives because of economical pressures, or new relationships, so caring for an elderly family member in their own home is often not feasible either. The time of grandparents living with their kids and grandkids in much of the developed world is behind us, much as we may regret that. In many cases, professional care is readily available (or gets organized by family) to ascertain old people can continue to stay in their home as long as possible. At some point however, it might no longer be possible to keep living at home, the care needed might progress to 24/7, and (unless you're filthy rich *) that is only feasible in a care facility, not in your own home. * (or live as an expat in the Philippines and can afford to hire nurses)
I am well aware. My grandparents went through this exact thing in both upper class and lower class care facilities. With each of them having a hard time agreeing to the new living arrangements. It is a horrible situation that is not pleasant for anyone involved no matter the level of care provided....though the upper class facilities make it much more barrable. It is a shame that level of care is not offered to every American citizen.
Getting back on topic, if by some reason you or someone you know tests positive but is not symptomatic, triggers persistent contact tracing to measure the extent others have been exposed to you and under the color of law advises them to self quarantine for 14 days. If the contact tracer finds you or your friend can't be separated within your home or compound to quarantine, you are taken to a guarded holding facility. This facility is a madhouse triage in the best cases on hospital grounds. Water food and medicine for your other conditions have to be provided by your runners which will later become symptomatic due to continuous exposure to this environment. The Delta timeline is short measured in hours between exposure to symptoms appearing. If you have means, you can request to be moved to an approved hotel one of which is the C and L Hotel which has a guarded floor for Covid quarantine. The rooms are small and no windows. No doctor and no medicine. Your contract tracer is only available during City business hours. You are there to scream and cry from the Covid pain and isolation without family or loved ones. We have a family acquaintance going through this now. shakey
Due to the wisdom of the BI who have decreed that the part of the process of getting a 13A visa which means a trip to Cebu BI to give fingerprints and photo cannot be waived until it is safe to go to Cebu and by safe i mean that tests are not required to go or come back then i am going to have to go to Cebu before the end of the year. This situation has been discussed with them and it's stonewall time, the fact that the NBI already has my prints and photo means not a jot and neither does the fact that in me going to Cebu i will be exposed to more of a risk of contacting Covid than i would be if i just stayed here and they got the NBI to email them my prints and photo. Yes i know this is a third world country and i can go back where i came from if not happy but i am just trying to highlight the fact that if the government here really want to stop the spread of Covid then they need to all be on the same page
Charly, isn't it an option to extend your current (tourist?) visa for a couple months and freeze the 13a application until such time as you feel safe to travel to Cebu?
I would have to agree with Charly, Do not know how long it will be before it is safe for Seniors to travel to Cebu... maybe years ...
My 13A application was started last December so i already have the first year which they call probationary, the reason i have to go to Cebu is that i can't do the yearly reporting and then get the permanent visa unless i make the trip to Cebu before the end of this year.
Have you been vaccinated? If so the odds of covid being a significant issue are very small. Even if you have a breakthrough infection the odds of being hospitalized is almost nil. Traveling back and forth is a non issue. Your test is good for 72 hours so you can get it here before you leave, go to Cebu and come back without getting another test in Cebu. Call them. I believe vaccinated people are able to use the lower cost rapid antigen test. Please confirm with them.
I'm dam sure than my neighbour managed to complete his permanent 13A after the probation time without the trip to Cebu? I will check with him again, perhaps this cost him extra?
Are you sure this is correct, its possible to go to Cebu for 2 days and mingle with people then come back to Dumaguete without any kind of test ? I thought they were trying to STOP it spreading.