Has Anyone Else Noticed...?

[i am bob]

I hope I'm in the right section for this - if not, Tom, can you slip it into the right category?When I first joined this forum these long past few days ago (way back in December I think it was), I noticed a lot of light-hearted comments about the idea of getting refunds, the government improving the processes, getting work done or buying something and getting ripped off...Has anyone noticed how many times lately someone has reported on excellent service? Great work for much lower prices? The government improving procedures and doing away with a lot of beurocratic red tape and/or "special' payments? Or as Art posted recently about his friends getting their tax refunds from the travel agency so quickly? Is this the start of a new Philippines? Hey! Being a Newbie and with my feet still not in the air yet, I'm confused as the next guy about this... But I would like to find out if anybody else is experiencing a change for the better or is it all just in my mind....?

[Jake]

I hope I'm in the right section for this - if not, Tom, can you slip it into the right category?When I first joined this forum these long past few days ago (way back in December I think it was), I noticed a lot of light-hearted comments about the idea of getting refunds, the government improving the processes, getting work done or buying something and getting ripped off...Has anyone noticed how many times lately someone has reported on excellent service? Great work for much lower prices? The government improving procedures and doing away with a lot of beurocratic red tape and/or "special' payments? Or as Art posted recently about his friends getting their tax refunds from the travel agency so quickly? Is this the start of a new Philippines?Hey! Being a Newbie and with my feet still not in the air yet, I'm confused as the next guy about this... But I would like to find out if anybody else is experiencing a change for the better or is it all just in my mind....?

Well, I would like to think the present administration has set precedent in finally going after the big fish. For example, the ongoing impeachment trial of the supreme court justice and his formal boss, GMA --both are just part of a wide spread cancer in all levels of government service.I'm sorry to say that any significant improvements that will affect the local population, including foreignerswill not be seen within my lifetime. But it is a start of a new Philippines........Respectfully -- Jake

[Art2ro]

Hey! Being a Newbie and with my feet still not in the air yet, I'm confused as the next guy about this... But I would like to find out if anybody else is experiencing a change for the better or is it all just in my mind....?

Bob,IMO, I don't think it's about a change for the better in the Philippines, but of the abundance of information getting out to the public concerning how not to get screwed by the local and government establishments, because you see concerning about the Travel Tax refund my British friends got back was my doings! I found out about the Travel Tax requirements after the fact and found out that the travel agent shouldn't have added the Travel Tax to their airfare purchase to Hong Kong if they themselves knew about the laws and requirements, but they didn't and just assumed the charge was automatic which it wasn't! So, if one doesn't know the facts or requirements before hand of any given situation, one can get screwed out of their hard earned money! As the saying goes, "ignorance of the "laws of the land" is no excuse"! So, it's to everyone's benefit and for their protection to read up as much as one can concerning the laws of the land where anyone visits or resides!

[i am bob]

Hey! Being a Newbie and with my feet still not in the air yet, I'm confused as the next guy about this... But I would like to find out if anybody else is experiencing a change for the better or is it all just in my mind....?

Bob,IMO, I don't think it's about a change for the better in the Philippines, but of the abundance of information getting out to the public concerning how not to get screwed by the local and government establishments, because you see concerning about the Travel Tax refund my British friends got back was my doings! I found out about the Travel Tax requirements after the fact and found out that the travel agent shouldn't have added the Travel Tax to their airfare purchase to Hong Kong if they themselves knew about the laws and requirements, but they didn't and just assumed the charge was automatic which it wasn't! So, if one doesn't know the facts or requirements before hand of any given situation, one can get screwed out of their hard earned money! As the saying goes, "ignorance of the "laws of the land" is no excuse"! So, it's to everyone's benefit and for their protection to read up as much as one can concerning the laws of the land where anyone visits or resides!

Oh, I agree Art! But didn't you also write about how the refund of the tax was done in what you considered record time? Maybe it's a new change for that travel agency trying to be more upstanding and the changes are just being phased in? I am probably wrong but before it would be a long time waiting for the refund, would it not? And, since the BOI is cleaning up their act somewhat, maybe it's flowing downhill to the travel agency? Especially when they found out that somebody who knew what they were talking about (You through your friends!) was looking into their error? Art, do you think there may be merit to my thoughts or am I just wishful thinking?

[joeatmanila]

A few facts that i see areA strong peso. Keeping in the range 42-43 for a few years now. 8-9 years ago it was 56, went to 39 for a while now stays on 42-43 for a while.Being a thrid world country it is a surprise for such a strong currency. Personally though i believe is a fake one, sooner or later the colapse will come in a massive form.More and more investments from abroad are coming in, construction is booming (at least in manila) and the entire city changes face extremely fast.I am to believe this happens due to the fact of 90% profit from the construction business which means you build a condominium tower, you sell the 10% of it you are covered on your expends, everything else is profit. (they sell really hard though)Salaries in ration with the inflation have hardly changed, the poor becomes just poorer.The what is called a middle class has been created. in the majority OFW seamen etc etc. They are the backbone of the economy.Their work is becoming more and more expensive. Skilled ones (really skilled) they ask for higher salaries which they hardly ever get. They are usually replaced from other cheaper ones. Their ability to speak engilsh is lessened due to nationalistic trends of people and lazyness too. Other countries are standing just by the corner full of cheap and skilled labor, and most important they do speak the level of english the current filipino does.So seeing that the backbone of the economy is getting reduced in abilities to meet and take the low salaries abroad, the economy goes down sooner or later. how they do keep it as such i have no idea. Please enlighten me if someone (and for sure there is) knows more.As for services they do try to get upgraded together with the current trend of upgrading the country.I do want the country to go ahead, i live and raise a family here, i might pay more expensive but that comes with the what i get too. But i do not see it....all i can see is a massive collapse sooner or later.Please enlighten me, i can be wrong and i would love to be wrong.!!!!

Edited February 27, 2012 by joeatmanila

[Art2ro]

Hey! Being a Newbie and with my feet still not in the air yet, I'm confused as the next guy about this... But I would like to find out if anybody else is experiencing a change for the better or is it all just in my mind....?

Bob,IMO, I don't think it's about a change for the better in the Philippines, but of the abundance of information getting out to the public concerning how not to get screwed by the local and government establishments, because you see concerning about the Travel Tax refund my British friends got back was my doings! I found out about the Travel Tax requirements after the fact and found out that the travel agent shouldn't have added the Travel Tax to their airfare purchase to Hong Kong if they themselves knew about the laws and requirements, but they didn't and just assumed the charge was automatic which it wasn't! So, if one doesn't know the facts or requirements before hand of any given situation, one can get screwed out of their hard earned money! As the saying goes, "ignorance of the "laws of the land" is no excuse"! So, it's to everyone's benefit and for their protection to read up as much as one can concerning the laws of the land where anyone visits or resides!

Oh, I agree Art! But didn't you also write about how the refund of the tax was done in what you considered record time? Maybe it's a new change for that travel agency trying to be more upstanding and the changes are just being phased in? I am probably wrong but before it would be a long time waiting for the refund, would it not? And, since the BOI is cleaning up their act somewhat, maybe it's flowing downhill to the travel agency? Especially when they found out that somebody who knew what they were talking about (You through your friends!) was looking into their error? Art, do you think there may be merit to my thoughts or am I just wishful thinking?

If you go back and read some of the articles, you will see that getting a travel tax refund takes months or years depending on the situation, which my British friends were of a different situation where it was the travel agent's fault in not knowing the requirements hence inconveniencing the British couple and they would have been out of over P3,000 hadn't I dug up the information! So, the agent was obligated to return their money for not doing their jobs in the first place! I even told the British couple not to put up with any nonsense from the travel agent in case they give them the runaround! I had them show the article to the travel agent who sold them their plane tickets and the dates of their passports showing entry into the Philippines! So you see, if one doesn't know and one doesn't ask, one doesn't get! That's why I mentioned, an informed person is a smart person who normally would have been taken advantage of by the establishment if he or she didn't know the facts or requirements before hand, but in the British couple's case, it was after the fact and fortunately it all worked out in the end! Your thoughts may have some merits, but sort of wishful thinking, because this is the Philippines where most establishments are out to make a fast buck that's deep in your pockets, because when they see a Kano (any foreigner), they only see dollar signs stamped on their foreheads and they can even see you coming from a mile away, across the street anyways! Edited February 27, 2012 by Art2ro

[guamman]

The good service has always been here in the Philippines including the government workers. 9 out of 10 situations I will encounter excellent service and people going out of their way to help you out. Then there comes that 1 in 10, (which you can normally spot within the first minute of meeting them) that are incompetent and only out to make your life miserable. And a lot of expats will add to the problem by making a scene. Who do you think sticks out and gets reported to on these forums. As they say one bad apple ruins the whole bunch. We should always appreciate the good service we expats receive and not just that bad incidents. That bad apple will always be there and I don't see them going away in the near future.

[Jake]

The good service has always been here in the Philippines including the government workers. 9 out of 10 situations I will encounter excellent service and people going out of their way to help you out. Then there comes that 1 in 10, (which you can normally spot within the first minute of meeting them) that are incompetent and only out to make your life miserable. And a lot of expats will add to the problem by making a scene. Who do you think sticks out and gets reported to on these forums. As they say one bad apple ruins the whole bunch. We should always appreciate the good service we expats receive and not just that bad incidents. That bad apple will always be there and I don't see them going away in the near future.

Excellent point Guamman! We tend to focus on news that are sensationalized, usually bad or unusual events.Keep on posting sir -- you're on a roll........Respectfully -- Jake