Visa Question Duty and Tax Exemption

Brian Oinks · Sep 29, 2017

Sedona said: ↑

Update: We did manage to get our TEC. We planned to fly to Manila Monday morning and fly back to DGT Monday night with TEC in hand (LOL). It actually took us three days to complete the processing in Manila, so two nights unexpected hotel stay and twice rebooking our return flight -- and after all that we had to go back again a week later to pick up the certificate, none of this can be done online or with sending stuff, it has to be done in person. Just as small example of the fun; a person at the DOF office sent me a template for an "Affidavit of Ownership" - it was a completely un-formatted continuous line of text with blanks spaces to enter information. I use Word and typed this is as a nice looking formatted document, exactly word-for-word, but properly formatted to look like an actual legal document. When we got to her window I proudly presented to her my nice looking Affidavit, she scowled at me and said, "Sir, I sent you the required format". I politely said to her, look at what you sent and look at my form and read them they have exactly the same wording except that mine is nicely formatted. She said, NO, you must use the format that I sent to you. I tried to argue that they were identical, that I am standing here now with this in my hand and I don't have a computer and printer with me to redo it -- she said, "Sir, would you like me to process your application or not?". So, I said, Okay, what do I do. She sent me to a legal office that was over a half hour taxi ride away where they re-did the affidavit for me using her single continuous line of text with spaces in it and printed it out for me. So, two hours later I am in front of her window again and I present her my new affidavit, she says, "Okay Sir, this is fine, now you must have it notarized". I said, okay, where is the notary in this building, she said there is none, and the closest one would be the lawyers office who reprinted this for you .... I say excuse me for a minute while I step into the hallway and pull out some hair! Now take that scene from Monty Python and extend it over three days and that is what you will be dealing with both in Manila and ten times worse at the Cebu Port Authority.

Our cargo container arrived in Cebu at 11:59PM Saturday night, and even though just 1 minute before Sunday, they called that a Saturday arrival. You get just 5 days before they start charging you storage fees, so be ready to move fast when you get the notice. We got to Cebu by Wed, and again in our innocent ignorance just planned for one day to retrieve our container from the port. It took us until the end of the day Friday but we were able to manage to get our container released and brought to Sibulan Saturday morning so that it was back in port by Saturday night to avoid additional charges. The methods we used to "expedite" the release of our container should probably not be documented here, use your imagination.

I will say this, if I had known in advance the hassle and work and frustration and time and expense that would be involved in shipping a cargo container from the US to the Philippines I absolutely would not have chose that plan. It is better off BY FAR to just sell everything you own except for small irreplaceable personal items, and just ship those in a few Star Kargo boxes, and then come here and buy everything you need once you are here.
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O...M...G...

I went through a similar experience here last Friday;
My Aussie Licence Expired so I have to renew via Snail-Mail.

Downloaded the PDF online, renamed them and wrote in Capitols; MUST PRINT FORMS 8, 9, 10 & 11 ONLY! Saved them to the Flash Drive and sent the Wife off to the Print Shop. She told them how many Pages I needed 1x Copy of; all which she told them Bana had written on the Document name, they printed out ALL 18 Pages! TWICE!

Okay, so off to Dumaguete, went to the BPI Bank to get a Bank Cheque - "Sorry Sir, we only do American and Canadian Dollar Cheques" So; withdraw the money and off to the Photo Shop!

Told them as per the Form information, I needed 2x Only 35mm x 45mm 600dpi Passport type Photos taken... After around 20 minutes and being told so many times that 25mm = 1 inch they finally worked it out after 3x Rulers in hand! Went in and had my Photos taken, then waited for processing and... Picked up the 9x Pictures!

Next, off to the Notary Office; Explained to the Secretary what was needed, no understand, so I handed her the forms, still no understand, so I put brackets around the parts she needed to understand, still no understand! The Wife explained it to her in Bisayan, still blank stares! Finally Boss Secretary comes back from lunch so I explain it to her, who then delegated it to the underling...

When she scanned my expired Licence she threw it onto the Scanner, then spent the next 45 minutes trying to work out how to write the required text under the photocopy stating it was sighted and was true or similar to effect. I told her just to write it by hand but she persisted in using a Ruler and trying to work out how to space the text in Word to no avail! Head Secretary saw what she was doing so roused on her and told her to just use the Manual Typewriter (this was also becoming a real Monty Python moment believe me!!!) but after typing away then inspecting her work, NO INK! So back to the Word document idea!!!

Eventually Head Secretary intervened and made her re-scan my Licence, WHY she did not place it into the corner like a normal person would is beyond me as she again threw it skewiff in the middle of the Scanner! Eventually she just typed the writing at the bottom instead of underneath the photocopy... So in she goes to get the Forms signed, brings them out and missed a few! So I show here what needs to be signed and where, brings them out, 1 down 2 to go!

I told her the photos also needed to be written on the back, sighted and signed, that really caused a stir! HOW she was going to get a 35mm x 45mm Photo into the Printer??? OMG!!! So again I explain, HAND WRITE! no understand! So I turned my back to her and went to the Head Secretary and told her, she was pissed off and told the underling again who took them into the Notary who did it finally!

I double check the Forms while the Wife paid the 1300 pesos, that was when I noticed that again she had failed to get the TWO Signatures I NEEDED! So AGAIN I show her! Away she goes, comes back with a Stamp and signature, at the bottom of the Form, NOT where it says PRINT NAME AND SIGN! So off she goes again, comes out mightily pissed off, mutters something to the Wife who quipped back, turned out the underling charged another 500 pesos and I watched her looking back and forth at the Notary and Head Secretary who were both busy and she SLIPPED the 500 pesos into a book on her Desk and slid it underneath! I was about to say something when Asawa shook her head NO! By this time my blood was BOILING! Asawa quickly ushered me out pronto!!

After a heated discussion on the obviously thieving Secretary, off we go to the Post Office, and I stand in line at the Money Order Desk, waiting, waiting... Waiting...... Asawa goes to another lady who is sitting there watching me at another Desk, Asawa calls me over so I can explain I need to send the Forms to Australia, I ask if I can use my MasterCard; "No sorry Sir"... I ask Asawa how are we going to pay for the Money Order? Lady replies; "Oh Money Order? Sorry Sir you need to go to Manila if you want Money Order" with a big smile! By this time I was ready to go home and give up! Asawa politely relayed what I needed to do, Lady says to use PayPal, great so I get a MasterCard because of the problems I am having getting my Philippines PayPal to work here and now I am in a FULL CIRCLE! I held my breath, counted to 10, told Asawa "Just do the Envelope please and let's get out of here!" Place Forms inside of Cardboard Envelope, place Cardboard Envelope inside of Plastic Satchel, write all necessary details and; "That will be 1800(+) pesos Sir"

I got out of there as quick as I could, high tailed it for the Jeepney and went home! ALMOST bought a Bottle of Tanduay but I do not drink! lol

Oh and approximately 3 days to get to Oz, a week later and still no sign of them!

Next time I will go to Manila for you and you can do MY processing here, deal? lol

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Visa Question Duty and Tax Exemption

Brian Oinks That's Mr. Pig to you Boy! :) Highly Rated Poster