Still Think It Is More Fun In The Philippines

[Mike S]

Yup another rant ..... why am I doing this .... well mostly so that those who have not been here yet or are coming here or thinking of coming here will realize that even the simplest things can be done with great difficulty here ...... just so you can be prepared ...... it can be quite a change from the way you have been doing things ..... so you just have to get used to it cause you ain't a gonna change it ..... does it really p*ss me off .... no not really .... I'm used to it by now ....In 2009 I decided my asawa needed a little more security after I am gone other than what I am leaving her so we decided to make voluntary contributions into her SSS ..... the process is long and drawn out but it can be done .... not as simple as going down and just adding money to her account .....Anyway she has been waiting on her photo ID sense then .... Dec. 2009 ..... she has been faithfully checking on line and visiting in person for the past 2 years .... YUP 2 years ...... today she goes back down again and after waiting in line for 2 hours is told that ALL the photos for the ID's for Dec. 2009 were deleted and she must do the whole ID thing all over again ...... WTF ..... now this is the FIRST time she has heard this .... every other time it was "not back yet ma'am check back next month or 2009 has not been released yet" ........ no notice to the thousands of people that this effects even though they have their addresses and as she has been inquiring on line they could have told her then ......by the way they started releasing 2011 this week ........ I have never in over 4 years seen her so madIt's called NEVER LOOSE FACE folks ...... no matter that happens or what it takes .... never admit you made a mistake or it was your fault ..... just another aspect of what they call culture here ..... learn to live with it ..... :thumbsup: :tiphat:

Edited April 4, 2012 by Mike S

[Bundy]

In 2003 after we were married, one of the requirements for the Australian Embassy was a NSO certified copy of our marriage certificate. The wife applied through the correct channels no less than 3 seperate times, paid all fees 3 times including "express fee" and delivery fees. as time went by we finally lodged all our papers with the embassy with a note attached outlining what we had done to get this document from the NSO and explaining that until now it was not forthcomming.Finally after i had returned to Australia i became impatient and sent an email to the embassy even though they specifically requested no contact by email. Guess what, within just a few days of that email, the wife received her passport delivered from Manila, complete with spouse visa attached! The embassy had contacted the NSO on our behalf, but now some 9 years later, we are still waiting for this document!

Edited April 4, 2012 by Bundy

[i am bob]

In 2003 after we were married, one of the requirements for the Australian Embassy was a NSO certified copy of our marriage certificate. The wife applied through the correct channels no less than 3 seperate times, paid all fees 3 times including "express fee" and delivery fees. as time went by we finally lodged all our papers with the embassy with a note attached outlining what we had done to get this document from the NSO and explaining that until now it was not forthcomming.Finally after i had returned to Australia i became impatient and sent an email to the embassy even though they specifically requested no contact by email. Guess what, within just a few days of that email, the wife received her passport delivered from Manila, complete with spouse visa attached! The embassy had contacted the NSO on our behalf, but now some 9 years later, we are still waiting for this document!

Gee Mr Bundy but aren't you worried? Without that piece of paper, aren't you afraid she could now trade you in for a different model? Just kidding of course but it is amazing how long and screwed up the administrative procedures are... And unfortunately it happens everywhere - but maybe not to the extent you and Mike have experienced!

[Dzighnman]

In 2003 after we were married, one of the requirements for the Australian Embassy was a NSO certified copy of our marriage certificate. The wife applied through the correct channels no less than 3 seperate times, paid all fees 3 times including "express fee" and delivery fees. as time went by we finally lodged all our papers with the embassy with a note attached outlining what we had done to get this document from the NSO and explaining that until now it was not forthcomming.Finally after i had returned to Australia i became impatient and sent an email to the embassy even though they specifically requested no contact by email. Guess what, within just a few days of that email, the wife received her passport delivered from Manila, complete with spouse visa attached! The embassy had contacted the NSO on our behalf, but now some 9 years later, we are still waiting for this document!

Bundy, sorry to hear of your trials and tribulations... I too had difficulty and this was AFTER I initially got 4 originals for who knows what... well, we ran out of originals and needed another for my adoption of my asawa's son, here in the USA. I found this link: https://www.ecensus.com.ph/Default.aspx to which I used three times now to "stock up on NSO certified birth certs and marriage certs. you ALWAYS end up need them for something and do not always get the originals returned to you... and as you know, getting them in the Phils can be a challenge... so my experience with this site was nothing short of fantastic... I provided the info... ONLINE then, paid the fees, ONLINE... and in three weeks, the docs were in my mailbox in the USA... one time it was two weeks. Sure, the fees are way above and beyond the costs... but when you face the alternatives and the headaches associated with chasing the docs around the Philippine system... this site is a blessing at any cost.Wondering if anyone else has used this site and has any feedback... like I said, it worked flawlessly for me... making me wonder if it is really run by the Philippine Government or some outsource... in any case, an example that proves it IS possible to get something done in the Philippines, quickly and with the convenience the rest of the world has come to expect. :thumbsup:

[Dzighnman]

This OP, as with another similar recent post... are great learning tools... I too sometimes post with these sorts of topics that appear on the surface to be bitch sessions... but as with Mike S. I am used to and accept all that the Philippines has to offer good, bad or otherwise... the reason these posts get created are to educate in ways that bring the heart of the issue, the emotions they generate and in some cases, solutions that help to avoid them altogether... thanks Mike S and I hope when I have one of these pop up, people remember, it is purely intended to be educational and to generate feedback that might arrive at alternatives or solutions for the next gen of newbies. :thumbsup:

[sonjack2847]

In 2003 after we were married, one of the requirements for the Australian Embassy was a NSO certified copy of our marriage certificate. The wife applied through the correct channels no less than 3 seperate times, paid all fees 3 times including "express fee" and delivery fees. as time went by we finally lodged all our papers with the embassy with a note attached outlining what we had done to get this document from the NSO and explaining that until now it was not forthcomming.Finally after i had returned to Australia i became impatient and sent an email to the embassy even though they specifically requested no contact by email. Guess what, within just a few days of that email, the wife received her passport delivered from Manila, complete with spouse visa attached! The embassy had contacted the NSO on our behalf, but now some 9 years later, we are still waiting for this document!

Bundy, sorry to hear of your trials and tribulations... I too had difficulty and this was AFTER I initially got 4 originals for who knows what... well, we ran out of originals and needed another for my adoption of my asawa's son, here in the USA. I found this link: https://www.ecensus....ph/Default.aspx to which I used three times now to "stock up on NSO certified birth certs and marriage certs. you ALWAYS end up need them for something and do not always get the originals returned to you... and as you know, getting them in the Phils can be a challenge... so my experience with this site was nothing short of fantastic... I provided the info... ONLINE then, paid the fees, ONLINE... and in three weeks, the docs were in my mailbox in the USA... one time it was two weeks. Sure, the fees are way above and beyond the costs... but when you face the alternatives and the headaches associated with chasing the docs around the Philippine system... this site is a blessing at any cost.Wondering if anyone else has used this site and has any feedback... like I said, it worked flawlessly for me... making me wonder if it is really run by the Philippine Government or some outsource... in any case, an example that proves it IS possible to get something done in the Philippines, quickly and with the convenience the rest of the world has come to expect. :thumbsup:

Yes mate I have used this site and it is a lot better than standing in a queue for half a day just to pay the fees and then to go back again to pick it up. E census does all kinds of certificates so anybody needing any should check it out. The ones I know they do are Cenomar, Birth ,Marriage but check it out you might find what you want and save yourself some hastle.Kevin.

[billten]

The most angry i ever say my lovely wife was when she went to POEA to renew her exit clearance to work in Hong Kong. They told her that THEY had lost her record of the LAST exit and she had to re-pay it, along with buying a new one for this exit. Even though she had a receipt for the prior exit clearance, they made her pay twice. Man, she was pissed...

[Mike S]

Dzighnman ...... thank you sir for that link ... although it is pretty expensive to have sent to the US for us living here that is not to bad at all ..... will keep that link close ... :541:

[Bundy]

Thanks fellas for the link.We'll look into it when we get to Cebu.Apart from the initial stuff up and major inconvenience it caused us in 03, since then we have not been asked to produce the NSO document and especially now as Mrs Bundy is an Australian citizen and travels on an Aussie passport thankfully it has never been needed. On our first return trips to Cebu we were asked for a marriage certificate at the airport immigration and we showed them the originals from Minglanilla Court house.No further questions were asked and we've always been granted balikbayan status.All i can say to anyone who is about to encounter Philippine bureaucracy is NEVER EVER lose your cool. As we all know here, the system is what it is and no matter who you are, you're not going to change it and by displaying public anger you can guarantee your paperwork is going to go directly to the bottom of the pile, if not the trash can.

[Bundy]

Gee Mr Bundy but aren't you worried? Without that piece of paper, aren't you afraid she could now trade you in for a different model?

Hey Bob, now that would be a two way street wouldn't it?.............................Nah, i would not trade Mrs Bundy for anything!