Best Posts in Thread: Returning to Dumaguete

I had to travel to Spain in November because of a family urgent issue. I had to obtain the health permission and more paperwork done just to travel to Manila first, then in Manila my PCR came positive (totally fake) so they transfer me to a hotel (Prince Manila, not too bad and free) to stay isolated inside the room for 10 nights with a new PCR (negative) done 4 days before the last night, and then I could go to the depressingly empty airport to take a plane with face shield all the time required (Qatar, Emirates only mask)
The most stressful event were during immigration clearance to leave the country because I didn't got an ECC as usual: the lady in immigration told me that if your stay was less than 12 months it could be done at the airport BUT the officer in the airport told me that it is not exactly true, it is a "privilege" that only the officer in chief can grant, but in the end I could pay the ECC directly there and fly...

Once in Madrid I prepared my trip back around the end of December but had to present a lot of papers to get a visa (as a parent of a filipino minor, not married): birth certificate of my daughter, barangay document stating that my daughter was actually there, and the usual photocopies of flight tickets, hotels, etc... My visa came on December 30 when the restrictions were tightened so I had to change my tickets to February 1 but suddenly my Emirates flight got cancelled because it was exceeding the maximum port of entry capacity, and the first flight available was on February 22 to Clark (first available to Manila was March 1) which I took.

At check in there was no need to present a PCR test (now it is very easy to get fake ones) so they prepare a big space in the gates after leaving the plane to fill more forms and pay for a PCR that is to be done after the 5th day in a approved hotel.

Then the IATF 101 came on Febrary 26 saying that travelling through PH should not be restricted with quarantines or PCR tests, so I didn't contact the Dumaguete DoT that was before a requirement (with quarantine hotel stay of course) So when I tried to flight I was rejected because I was not in the travel authorised list... I was told that Dumaguete Dot (or DoH..) needed time to implement the new rules (how stupid of me to not ask...) so I had to send another batch of paperwork to Dumaguete including an already expired PCR test... so in the end 2 days later after making sure I was not required to do another quarantine I could fly...

Arriving to Dumaguete we had all our bags sprayed with some kind of stuff (that is not new here in PH), fill some more forms (of course!) and off I go!

 

Visa category 9A, valid for 59 days, and Conditions of stay: "PARENT OF MINOR FILIPINO NATIONAL, EXEMPTED UNDER FSC 36-2020"

I brought with me an original birth certificate to present in the PH embassy.

 

Just got back from a day trip to Cebu. It's like pre-covid at the port. Drive down, buy a ticket and drive on. Both ways. No documentation required whatsoever.

 

The following is the steps I took to get a visa
1. Had my GF send me the birthing center copy of the birth certificate
2. Made an appointment with the Philippines Consulate in Chicago to sign an affidavit of admission of paternity. Cost 25 dollars and pre-paid return envelope (they only take UPS or USPS. Plus travel costs to Chicago from Kansas city.
3. They sent the affidavit to me a couple of days later.
4. Sent the affidavit and the birthing center birth certificate back to Dumaguete
5. GF took to the LCR in Dumaguete and they rejected because the consulate failed to sign the back of the birth certificate
6. Sent paperwork back to USA then to the consulate in Chicago
7. Received signed paperwork and sent back to GF in Dumaguete
8. LCR wanted to reject again because they didn't like the way the consulate did the paperwork but my GF talked them out of that. Requested endorsement to PSA.
9. A couple of weeks later the endorsement to PSA was ready, GF then went to PSA and got a copy of the birth certificate
10. GF sent the PSA birth certificate to me in USA. The consulate said they would take the endorsement to PSA or an PSA copy of the birth certificate for my visa. I would recommend the PSA birth certificate because that is what immigration and airlines wanted to see. With the endorse to PSA letter you could get a visa but I don't know if you could get immigration to take it.
11. Sent my visa package to the Philippines Consulate in Chicago consisting of the following:
... Visa application form 2-A (with passport size photo)
... my passport with copies of my data pages
... Travel itinerary
... Proof of financial capacity ( latest bank statement)
... Copy of PSA birth certificate
... copy of GF id
... notarized letter of support from my GF stating purpose of travel and that she guarantees my moral obligations while I'm in the Philippines
... money order of 40 dollars to the consulate. This is for 3 day service but its 30 for 7 day service. The visa is for single entry and must be used in 90 days
.... pre-paid return envelope via UPS
A week after I sent my visa package I received my visa. I arrived in Manila last night and they stamped the visa good for 60 days.
That's what I needed to do in a nutshell

 

I arrived in Manila on Oct 1, and am about to finish my Quarantine stay in Manila soon. Yay

The quarantine hotel stay upon entry to the Philippines is mandatory, at the port of entry (i.e., no immediate transit to provincial airports is allowed). The only benefit for being fully vaccinated here is a reduced quarantine period (7 and not 10 days), but ONLY if you're coming from a rather short list of green listed countries. Germany (or the US, as far as I remember) were not on that list but it's updated from time to time so that may change.

So for us, 10 days in Manila it was. You are required to book a hotel upfront, many hotels advertise quarantine packages for 9 nights with full board meals. You can also find such offers on Agoda / Booking.com. It will pay off to do some research upfront when picking a hotel - you probably don't want to end up in a hole with no windows or crappy A/C or no hot water etc for ten days. Also food quality apparently varies greatly.

Further, you need to register on onehealthpass.com.ph and fill out a health declaration form on the day before you fly to the Philippines. That gives you a QR code you're supposed to carry with you. In my case this, and the hotel booking, was checked already upon check-in in Berlin. When arriving in Manila, the process was fairly streamlined with people guiding you everywhere. They'll check your healthpass printout with the QR code, ask some additional info (seat number etc), then check your hotel reservation. You'll get some paper slip for transportation from the Airport to your hotel. You'll also register for the PCR test that'll happen during your quarantine. Lots of paperwork but since our plane was nearly empty, it was a smooth process and we were out of the airport in about an hour.

I chose the New World Makati, 5500 per night all in with 3 daily meals. Big window (I find that really important in this case...) with a good view of the Makati skyline, big bed, good TV, working WiFi, superb 5G coverage. The included food is OK, you can order water/beer/any groceries or anything else to your room with Grab or Lazada etc (hotel staff will deliver to your room whatever is dropped off for you), but no cooked meals. You are free to order from regular in room dining of course at additional cost (expensive). I would book it again for this price, but next time I'd bring at least a coffee mug and som cutlery. I hate drinking from paper cups, and tiny wooden forks and knifes are a joke.

For the PCR test, the lab staff came to the hotel, someone picked us up at the room to where they did the tests, and also escorted us back to the room. results came after exactly two days.

One thing to be aware of - currently there are no flights from Manila to Dumaguete on Saturday / Sundays. So if your timing is bad, you might have to stay longer than necessary in Manila. Don't ask me how I know

For going to Dumaguete, you'll need to register on s-pass.ph and apply for a travel permit (upload some ID and negative PCR test result). My request was approved after just a few minutes, so that actually works.

 

Congratulations on getting your visa and making it back into the Philippines. May I ask that when you finally arrive back into Dumaguete that you come back on here and brief us on how you achieved that, what route you took and any problems that you encountered. Many (myself included) are all seeking information regarding travel at the moment as it never seems to stop changing week by week.
Out of interest what hotel are you staying at in Manila? Would you recommend it, how is the food etc? Good luck with the rest of your quarantine and your journey back here to Duma.

 

Phew!

 

CONGRATULATIONS to all THREE of you!

 

Matiao ferries are running Bato/Tampi, suggest fly to Cebu bus to Bato cross to Tampi, jump on jeepney