I am sure many are aware of the rules for 13a visa holders regarding obtaining exit clearance if you've been in .PH longer than 6mths. I found it notoriously difficult to get the correct info about this and was told three different stories by three different government officials. Anyway - just as a 'heads-up' I had to travel to BKK last week so I tested the system... If you have a 13a visa you can indeed simply fly into Manila Airport and just prior to clearing immigration to exit the country, simply go the the cashier's booth which is the last booth on the right amongst the line of immigration booths. Pay your 2,800PHP and that's it! Funny how my receipt states 2,300PHP though!!!??? Same at Cebu airport so I have now discovered. So, no need to panic and it seems well organised there. BTW - you can get your clearance 24/7 - there is no need to go the day before if your travel times are unsociable etc.. Hope this puts other's minds at rest.
That would be the separate recent I didn't get then! Express lanes in Manila?? Don't you mean Depressed Lane?
2800p is for your first exit of the year. Subsequent exits are "only" 2170p. Both includes 500p express lane fee. Wouldn't accept to pay anything I don't get receipt for. Always checks it. No need to acquire anything in advance if you have the ACR-I card. But, if you have to go abroad when that is under renewal, make sure to obtain a reentry permit prior to leaving. Otherwise you will be let back in as tourist, and your 13A is void and need to be reapplied for. As a rule of thumb I always check my stamp on entry, to make sure they wrote 13A. I can just imagine the hassle if they do it wrong and I later try to convince another officer that it's "your fault" for not stamping it correct when I entered last time (of course taking "your" as personal his/her, not as the BoI force as a whole)...
