Phoning the main immigration office.

[Snowy79]

Good luck to anyone trying to get an answer from the main BI.  203 calls and still no further forward.

I put a motion of consideration in on Jan 24th this year to entend 2 months and was told I'd have an answer within 26 days. As expected I never got an answer so have been trying since last Thursday to get a reply as my retirement interview with the Philippines Retirement Authority is on the 23rd.

Out of 203 calls I had 4 answers each telling me the wrong thing and trying to bounce me around different offices culminating in being told tonight they never received my documents, passport etc. I pointed out I handed them in personally and was given a form with all the details even who to call although none of the numbers answer. They then started back peddling and trying to give me other numbers which I'd already tried multiple times. I pointed out I have a flight and accomodation booked but don't want to go all the way there to be told no answer. Sorry Sir you'll have to come in person and ask. I said do you think it's a good idea to fly all the way from Boracay, walk in to be told you don't have an answer and just walk out and fly back?  " Yes Sir." 

In the mean time a Morrocan woman on another forum contacted me to say she wanted to leave the Philippines but they made her do a motion of consideration before they'd give her an exit clearance certificate as she only had one day left on her visa. Twenty days down the line she can't get an answer either and doesn't even know where her paperwork is.

[scott h]

34 minutes ago, Snowy79 said:

Out of 203 calls I had 4 answers

This will not lower your frustration level, but the non-answering of the phone is not limited to the Philippines, but where ever Filipinos work.

Prior to our move here, we shipped a series of BB Boxes ahead of us. We used LBc which was naturally staffed by Filipina/Americans......while standing in line for about 30 minutes, the phone would ring (loudly). The phone was located on the counter right between the two ladies. Neither made a move to pick it up, just let it ring and ring. This was not a one off either,,,,happened every time I went there....I finally said when the lady was helping me and the phone rang..........."You can go ahead and get that,,,I will wait".

The look I got, would curdle blood. 

[hk blues]

21 minutes ago, scott h said:

This will not lower your frustration level, but the non-answering of the phone is not limited to the Philippines, but where ever Filipinos work.

Prior to our move here, we shipped a series of BB Boxes ahead of us. We used LBc which was naturally staffed by Filipina/Americans......while standing in line for about 30 minutes, the phone would ring (loudly). The phone was located on the counter right between the two ladies. Neither made a move to pick it up, just let it ring and ring. This was not a one off either,,,,happened every time I went there....I finally said when the lady was helping me and the phone rang..........."You can go ahead and get that,,,I will wait".

The look I got, would curdle blood. 

Yep.

My own wife is capable of letting a phone ring out and then check who was calling before deciding her next move!  It's also not entirely unrelated to how many here can happily sit and ignore a barking dog.  

To be fair though, on another forum (UK) I participate in it seems the idea of actually answering a phone call is alien.  One poster actually said it's presumptuous, impatient and obnoxious to call someone without making an "appointment" first!  

[Snowy79]

25 minutes ago, scott h said:

This will not lower your frustration level, but the non-answering of the phone is not limited to the Philippines, but where ever Filipinos work.

Prior to our move here, we shipped a series of BB Boxes ahead of us. We used LBc which was naturally staffed by Filipina/Americans......while standing in line for about 30 minutes, the phone would ring (loudly). The phone was located on the counter right between the two ladies. Neither made a move to pick it up, just let it ring and ring. This was not a one off either,,,,happened every time I went there....I finally said when the lady was helping me and the phone rang..........."You can go ahead and get that,,,I will wait".

The look I got, would curdle blood. 

Sadly as you say it's a common theme here. I've also witnessed it many times. I've messaged immigration and sent a screen shot of my calls under an alias obviously.  They're read it but not replied lol

[Dave Hounddriver]

7 hours ago, Snowy79 said:

Good luck to anyone trying to get an answer from the main BI.  203 calls and still no further forward.

I think they have the right idea.  I hate it when I am in a long line to get some information and the agent answers the phone to give someone info over the phone.  Its like the person phoning thinks they are special and get to jump the queue.  Go line up like the rest.  

[baronapart]

12 hours ago, hk blues said:

Yep.

My own wife is capable of letting a phone ring out and then check who was calling before deciding her next move!  It's also not entirely unrelated to how many here can happily sit and ignore a barking dog.  

To be fair though, on another forum (UK) I participate in it seems the idea of actually answering a phone call is alien.  One poster actually said it's presumptuous, impatient and obnoxious to call someone without making an "appointment" first!  

My wife has been here three years. She still brings her phone to me when it rings unless it is one of her three Filipinas of the Inner Circle))

Edited February 21, 2022 by baronapart

[RBM]

14 hours ago, Snowy79 said:

 

t Thursday to get a reply as my retirement interview with the Philippines Retirement Authority is on the 23rd.

 

Firstly sympathize  with your situation Snowy and trust your soon sorted. Perhaps if you know of a trusty Immigration consultant that is able to cut into the bone with BI.

The interview with the PRA, is it something new? It used to be the case how ever was canned a while back. From your comments its back again. If so will be a pain for those in the Provence. 

[Freebie]

Hope you get things sorted and soon Snowy. Must be immensely frustrating, time consuming ( and wasting ) trying to get this done.

 

Re phones. in my former life I managed many large 5star type hotels across Asia. All had same problem of a busy Front desk staff dealing with customers and guests and ringing phones albeit softly. . No one ever made any decisions at to how to handle this conflict. Should they deal with guest or answer phone.

Decisive leadership was required ( which I guess is why I was boss lol )... so in one in one my first postings I hired two very smart but sadly lesser abled staff. The kind that no one ever employs. Sat them in an office behind the Front Desk.. told front desk staff all calls to Front Desk would thereafter be routed to this office. All Front desk would therefor be free to concentrate on physical guests and all calls would be answered by these lesser able but now happily employed staff. Worked a treat. So I repeated this simple inititative in all the hotels I was in thereafter.

Phones can be answered when theres a simple but effective system in place for doing so. Problem is , very few to seem to think hat a solution could be.

[graham59]

How sensible and spot-on with the solution sir. 

[hk blues]

53 minutes ago, Freebie said:

Hope you get things sorted and soon Snowy. Must be immensely frustrating, time consuming ( and wasting ) trying to get this done.

 

Re phones. in my former life I managed many large 5star type hotels across Asia. All had same problem of a busy Front desk staff dealing with customers and guests and ringing phones albeit softly. . No one ever made any decisions at to how to handle this conflict. Should they deal with guest or answer phone.

Decisive leadership was required ( which I guess is why I was boss lol )... so in one in one my first postings I hired two very smart but sadly lesser abled staff. The kind that no one ever employs. Sat them in an office behind the Front Desk.. told front desk staff all calls to Front Desk would thereafter be routed to this office. All Front desk would therefor be free to concentrate on physical guests and all calls would be answered by these lesser able but now happily employed staff. Worked a treat. So I repeated this simple inititative in all the hotels I was in thereafter.

Phones can be answered when theres a simple but effective system in place for doing so. Problem is , very few to seem to think hat a solution could be.

Yep - it's hardly rocket science to designate different staff for different duties.