Visa Question Dumaguete BI Annual Reporting

At last, a Yank with a sense of humour......:D.........its ok mate, just kidding, I have several American friends who have a great sense of humour.

 

I went in last November 22. After doing the typical extension crap, in a short period of time, I was handed the "infamous" four page questionnaire. After reading the form and pondering the many pertinent questions on the form (ie: number of farts released in the last 24 hours and the like) I notice that written on the top of the form was a statement like: there could be no blanks or "NA" on the form or it would not be processed. Some of the questions are ridiculous. I tried but could not remember answers to an number of questions on the form (including the number of farts release in the previous 24 hour period) but decided to hand it in... quickly the lady attendant grabbed it and wrote "NA" on my blank spaces. And told me to come back and pick up my passport in a week, not the normal there days for someone to stamp and sign the passport. I was also told to come first thing in the morning.
The reason was that the time was a week is because everyone was doing the long form, even though we had a substantial period of time to do it. The BI office decided we would each be captured (closer to kidnapped with the time required) and fill out the form on next extension processing. It took more than 5 hours on my second trip to pick up a passport that day and to walk through each question on the Questionnaire, this time with Peter in his office and get the finger prints.... many frustrated people there that pick up day.
The moral of the story: Even though it is lots of bullshit, it is easier if you are nice to the office workers. The office attendant, who only works at one speed, and only does one thing at a time, was nice enough to fill out the questionnaire for me in spots, where some of her less politic applicants were handed back the questionnaire and pen and told to fill it out. I do feel that I was extended some courtesies because I had been courteous to the office staff previously. (I have learned here in the Philippines whose @ss to kiss with a smile on my face, ) So, suck it up and smile, or spend your next extension stay in the BI office waiting on the staff to complete their paper work.
Scary stuff: For anyone interested to knowing what happens to all this paper work, continue pass the BI door, to the travel agent, look to your right and you will see stacks of paper about 4 ft high up against the wall on the right. If you want any personal information on any expats here just search through the stacks. It is always nice to know our stuff is secure and private here.
My next visit: I will be returning January 27 to get my next extension. I will let you guys know if the congestion and the aircon in the office has gotten better. Hopefully all the aliens will be released from BI by that time, in their catch and release program here. If the office is still as over crowded, I plan to started a little business venture renting out tents to be put up in the hallway with geisha girls with paper fans for aircon.. I hope they smile and suck it up too.

 

Now I know what it must feel like for an ex-con on parole, having to regularly report in...........lol.......but fortunately I am not an ex-con, but merely an Alien.:D

 

In the Philippines I think the drug lord cons get better treatment in jail here than the aliens in the BI section office. I mean really.... is there a stripper pool and hot tub in the BI office for us?

 

This has gotten a bit frustrating for me...I went to Korea to deal with some stuff, came back and asked for a 60 day extension; was only given 30 days (on me I did not check things) so I know I am due and look at it (thinking 60 days) and know I'm screwed. For the 60 day extension (which was actually 30 days) cost over 3,000 peso, with penalties for this one the total was over 6,000 pesos...plus I don't get my passport back for another couple weeks.

I've yet to fill out the 6 page form other folks have talked about, but do know the birthdays of my parents and next of kin....

Shawn

 

Yeah mate I hear you, I struggled with not only the dates of birth of my parents but also their full names, particularly their second and third given names, as they have been deceased for many years, fortunately I found all the details in my records after a lot of searching and a few well chosen curses............lol

 

Smile and do not worry about it. I did not know those things, like I do not carry them around in my head 24/7 when my parents were born over a century ago besides I wasn't even there for the event.:(

The lady attendant in the BI was understanding on that stuff, did not seem to worry about it, so why should we? Just meander around the office and ask the guard where the "stripper pole" and "hot tub" are that day. Then admit you were getting confused about the BI office and drug kingpin jail cells you read about. That should create a little chaos and laughter. Why be solely focused on work... no one does that in the Philippines, when there are text messages and gossip to talk about. A little research before you go when you know the questions could be, will give you confidence in facing the questionnaire.

I say do not worry about it, because the rumor is that they soak the questionnaire in water and recycle them into TP anyway. They just ask all those questions so we focus on our pissing and moaning about the questions and not the fees. . You know it just like when we come home smelling like perfume and compliment our wife on the new shows she bought that day. :( Welcome to the magic (scam) capital of the world based on mis-direction, denial and lies.. Oh that... that is our new fees for all massive program undertaking that no way in the world we can manage, so we will discontinued the new program as soon as we collect enough Pesos for our 2015 vacation trips journeys. Shortly after the discontinuance of the program we will have a sale on recycled TP.

 

Mahuby!

The probelm is that one immigration office doesnt know what the requirements are as so many new ones have been introduced,
i was in manila this past monday the first day of the office opening after the holidays, and if you think duma is busy there must of been over 2000 people,, to call it a circus is being kind,,,,,,

there was a live band inside the office with music so loud no one could hear anything being said! great entertainment , just what you want to do paperwork

i was there at 7-15am and after queuing outside the main office when they opened they told me to go to a different office at the side, i go there and it was a joke, so rather then getting stressed i just got on with it and went straight to the front , asked politley a very pretty young lady officer and she then checked on the cpu my card,,,, , to add i had filled out the 4 page form last year and i had also done it again this year ready,, was no need for any of it, no online stuff either, i was ushered onto the next stage,,,,, no officer there really knew the true facts so i guess when they were looking at the amount of people there they just went on as normal , , i had the annual report finished in 1 hour due to my no nonsense approach,

i then went on to put the application for renewal of my icard (5 year exp) this also a fiasco but i got everything done as had all forms filed out beforehand, i was needing one paper which was a copy of the original stamp in the BI book but only they can give it to you so was a hours wait for that,, but then again i was leaving the office by 10-30am , , not bad at all considering there was people still waiting in the same place as when i had got there !!!!

i feel sorry for the small offices as half of the stuff the website says is needed is not needed at all!

good luck with your annual reporting, i am glad its over and got to the point of not caring anymore if i lose the d*mn thing with all the headache of keeping it!