Entry of a US Citizen as of Jan 29

[Terry P]

Just now, DaveB said:

Yeah...but when you're on one side of the immigration booth trying to get to the other side...best to be on your best behavior.  Some tense moments there.

Not pointed at you Dave in the slightest there's been a lot of to and fro on a different topic here

I would not like to have been doing what you have just done. It could have gone so wrong

More power to you fella

[DaveB]

4 hours ago, softail said:

Thanks for the great info, Myself and my wife have basically been stranded here south of Seattle since last May. We have been waiting out the quarantine restrictions that the Philippines have put in place. Here in Seattle I can go where I want with basically no restrictions. At my age, in the Philippines I would basically have to quarantine in my home and watch TV all day.

I lived in Tacoma and Puyallup for 25 years.  Ended up camped out at my daughter's in Spokane for three weeks waiting things out.  We had made our mind up that we were gonna go as soon as the rules allowed it, no matter what - including putting up with the whole quarantine fiasco.  We have a house in Angeles City and wanted to get back to it, so that added some incentive for us that you might not share.  Meanwhile...once you get through all the quarantine stuff at entry, Angeles City is pretty much as open as Seattle, in terms of daily living.  I'm 72 years old and getting by pretty well here.  There are some other parts of the Philippines I think are in a bit more of a restricted state, so bears some research depending on where you're going.

If you don't have the urgency to get here that we had, you might note that the Philippines has been discussing implementing a "COVID Passport" in June.  It's a document that shows you are either vaccinated or have already had COVID.  There's no info I"m aware of on how you get it and what is needed for documentation...and I'm always skeptical of what feels like a "best guess" implementation date - but it's something to track.  I think there's a general opinion world wide that ultimately, every country is going to need proof of vaccination as a condition for entry at some point.  So as Washington State goes through the vaccination fiascos, try to get yours.  It creates a new immigration solution set to resolve, but it feels like it might be the easier path.

[Terry P]

13 minutes ago, DaveB said:

I lived in Tacoma and Puyallup for 25 years.  Ended up camped out at my daughter's in Spokane for three weeks waiting things out.  We had made our mind up that we were gonna go as soon as the rules allowed it, no matter what - including putting up with the whole quarantine fiasco.  We have a house in Angeles City and wanted to get back to it, so that added some incentive for us that you might not share.  Meanwhile...once you get through all the quarantine stuff at entry, Angeles City is pretty much as open as Seattle, in terms of daily living.  I'm 72 years old and getting by pretty well here.  There are some other parts of the Philippines I think are in a bit more of a restricted state, so bears some research depending on where you're going.

If you don't have the urgency to get here that we had, you might note that the Philippines has been discussing implementing a "COVID Passport" in June.  It's a document that shows you are either vaccinated or have already had COVID.  There's no info I"m aware of on how you get it and what is needed for documentation...and I'm always skeptical of what feels like a "best guess" implementation date - but it's something to track.  I think there's a general opinion world wide that ultimately, every country is going to need proof of vaccination as a condition for entry at some point.  So as Washington State goes through the vaccination fiascos, try to get yours.  It creates a new immigration solution set to resolve, but it feels like it might be the easier path.

There has been a Bill sent up to the Philippines parliament within the last week proposing a vaccine passport. It hasn't gotten any further yet.

Draw your own conclusions from the fact that the idea of a vaccine passport has been kicked around for months now with IATA leading the way

It's growing momentum. A version was trialled between New York and Heathrow in November. UK government have funded (quietly) the development of one. In the EU last week there was a debate about introducing one with member states such as Spain, Greece and Denmark a pushing for it.

That's without what some Arab states for one are saying

[DaveB]

One last (I hope) "Gotcha".

In the original post on this thread, I commented that the test cost was in cash, but seemed to be a lot cheaper than when we went through Manila last October: 4500 person per COVID test in Manila - 4000 pesos for two COVID tests per person in Clark last Friday.

So...in discussing the cost needed with the cashier at Clark, I asked twice if that cost covered "both tests".  What I was referring to was two test sessions, one in the airport and one five days later in the hotel.  He said "yes".  However, what he was referring to was EACH test instance.  At the airport - they test twice, so 2000 pesos for each, or 4000 pesos per person.  That ONLY covered what was done at the airport.  Major breakdown in communication.

So the lab techs show up today and want another payment, in cash, for the two test session they were about to do here...or for my wife and I a total of another 8000 pesos.  Despite my observations above about keeping calm and holding a "discussion", I pretty much blew up and chewed on the poor nurse tech.  No one told me I needed to pay again...I thought I was totally prepaid already.  I did not have 8000 pesos on hand and I asked her where in the hell I was supposed to get it.  There's a BPI across the parking lot from the hotel, but I can't leave the room to go there.  I was pissed.  Poor kid caught a real ration from me, and it wasn't her fault.  The Dept of Health should have put some info out that this was needed.

She advised me sweetly that I could opt out of the test and just finish the 14 day quarantine in the hotel (which is costing me 8000 pesos PER  NIGHT).  Didn't help my mood any.

Only solution I could think of was to call the front desk and ask them to send me their most trusted employee and I'd send him across the street with my ATM card.  Drastic - but I was desperate.  The hotel saved my butt - they offered to front me the 8000 out of the till and I could settle up at check out.

So...got the test, after some panic and bad behavior on my part.  (At the end I was joking with the test crew and letting them know I didn't think it was their fault.)

So Lesson Learned:  You need to be carrying 8000 pesos per person in your party - half for the airport testing and half for the hotel testing.  I.e...the toal for two test sessions at two places for a married couple is 16,000 pesos

Also...a general Lesson Learned that pertains to all Filipino/ex-pat communication (unless you are already fluent in Tagalog or the local dialect): Filipinos speaking and listening in English tend to be very literal.  Likely related to the very formal foundations of their English.  Nuance often gets lost in the discussion.  So you have to watch to probe a little to make sure the subtleties of what you mean are really what they heard.

[Snowy79]

3 hours ago, DaveB said:

One last (I hope) "Gotcha".

In the original post on this thread, I commented that the test cost was in cash, but seemed to be a lot cheaper than when we went through Manila last October: 4500 person per COVID test in Manila - 4000 pesos for two COVID tests per person in Clark last Friday.

So...in discussing the cost needed with the cashier at Clark, I asked twice if that cost covered "both tests".  What I was referring to was two test sessions, one in the airport and one five days later in the hotel.  He said "yes".  However, what he was referring to was EACH test instance.  At the airport - they test twice, so 2000 pesos for each, or 4000 pesos per person.  That ONLY covered what was done at the airport.  Major breakdown in communication.

So the lab techs show up today and want another payment, in cash, for the two test session they were about to do here...or for my wife and I a total of another 8000 pesos.  Despite my observations above about keeping calm and holding a "discussion", I pretty much blew up and chewed on the poor nurse tech.  No one told me I needed to pay again...I thought I was totally prepaid already.  I did not have 8000 pesos on hand and I asked her where in the hell I was supposed to get it.  There's a BPI across the parking lot from the hotel, but I can't leave the room to go there.  I was pissed.  Poor kid caught a real ration from me, and it wasn't her fault.  The Dept of Health should have put some info out that this was needed.

She advised me sweetly that I could opt out of the test and just finish the 14 day quarantine in the hotel (which is costing me 8000 pesos PER  NIGHT).  Didn't help my mood any.

Only solution I could think of was to call the front desk and ask them to send me their most trusted employee and I'd send him across the street with my ATM card.  Drastic - but I was desperate.  The hotel saved my butt - they offered to front me the 8000 out of the till and I could settle up at check out.

So...got the test, after some panic and bad behavior on my part.  (At the end I was joking with the test crew and letting them know I didn't think it was their fault.)

So Lesson Learned:  You need to be carrying 8000 pesos per person in your party - half for the airport testing and half for the hotel testing.  I.e...the toal for two test sessions at two places for a married couple is 16,000 pesos

Also...a general Lesson Learned that pertains to all Filipino/ex-pat communication (unless you are already fluent in Tagalog or the local dialect): Filipinos speaking and listening in English tend to be very literal.  Likely related to the very formal foundations of their English.  Nuance often gets lost in the discussion.  So you have to watch to probe a little to make sure the subtleties of what you mean are really what they heard.

I'm feeling your pain.  I'm going through the run around at the moment for my partner.  I almost launched my computer and phone over the balcony.  Between no phone number available, incorrect information, phone help lines that go through a 3 minute spiel giving you every option but to talk to a person then hanging up and online bookings where the website is configured wrong so when a captcha appears half of it is off screen so useless.   

[DaveB]

This is not a country for anyone with OCD (not saying you do, but my sister would go nuts here)...never know what the hell is coming next.  Hang in there and try to power through.  You gotta really want to come to the Philippines to put up with it all.  On the other end of the craziness, it ends up being worth it.

[DaveB]

Thought I'd drive a nail in this post...in case it causes future confusion.  It's no surprise to anyone to hear that immigration and COVID impacts are in an almost daily state of change.  So...what you read above was me hitting one window of opportunity, with a specific set of processes, and now those processes have changed again.  I would suggest that anyone coming up next with the latest changes pay attention to what those processes require (and at first blush, they seem a lot more straightforward this time).  Might be a good idea to take down this post thread, and leave with two observations: I was surprised at the general lack of information that had flowed to the immigration agents a week after it was published to the public, and it seems like there is always some minor detail that they just forget to mention in their process discussions.  That's moderately endemic to the BI, if one guy can make a blunt statement - so check in detail, try to imagine anything that might catch you off guard, and ask any question, no matter how trivial, before you launch.  Advice from the battle scarred.

Incidentally - I've mentioned it before - but this Forum is a great resource.  I've been dancing around with the stuff, in various manifestations, since last June, and this site always has someone with good inside info...

[Dave Hounddriver]

1 hour ago, DaveB said:

I would suggest that anyone coming up next with the latest changes pay attention to what those processes require

Problem for many of us is that we have to book months in advance to get an affordable air ticket and when the time comes to go you cannot get a refund.  Even the travel insurance companies are not providing refunds at this time (as far as I know).

If all seems well by June, we will start looking for a low cost ticket to the Philippines in December.  If the rules do not allow us to come then we will have to toss the tickets out and give this year a miss.

[baronapart]

8 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Problem for many of us is that we have to book months in advance to get an affordable air ticket and when the time comes to go you cannot get a refund.  Even the travel insurance companies are not providing refunds at this time (as far as I know).

If all seems well by June, we will start looking for a low cost ticket to the Philippines in December.  If the rules do not allow us to come then we will have to toss the tickets out and give this year a miss.

My wife was supposed to travel back to the Philippines last April on PAL booked through an online travel site. We were one of the lucky ones to get a refund relatively quickly (30 days) but it took hours on hold and more time talking to people with no power to do anything.

[Terry P]

14 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Problem for many of us is that we have to book months in advance to get an affordable air ticket and when the time comes to go you cannot get a refund.  Even the travel insurance companies are not providing refunds at this time (as far as I know).

If all seems well by June, we will start looking for a low cost ticket to the Philippines in December.  If the rules do not allow us to come then we will have to toss the tickets out and give this year a miss.

It's worthwhile looking at the airline terms and conditions

I booked a flight last march flying june. Didn't happen of course but I'm still rescheduling dates on the same booking with no rebooking fees and holding the original price latest date is May. When things do open up again I can see the flight prices going through the roof.

I'm booked with Qatar airways from Heathrow. It's UK but I'm sure there's the same deal available elsewhere. Lots of airlines seemed to have adopted this policy