Monday 10 March 2008

Monday........my last visa......

Today I went to the Bureau of Immigration to get my last extended visa for 1 month.

Last time I was there I had to pay a 1000pesos bribe to get my visa in 30 mins, this time I thought NO WAY am I paying a bribe... it's only for a month so I will just wait in line.

Have you ever thought that you have got something right and been clever then life jumps up and bites your bum.. well that's what I felt like today.

I went there determined.. if the officer said to me wait at the side, I was going to say NO just show me the way to the visa office as I am not paying a bribe. I walked in upright and ready for action......... I said visa extension please... he said...no problem sir just over there.... that took the wind out of my sails !!

I was directed to another building and entered where it said VISAS.

I walked into utter chaos, the room was a big square with 30 glass windows with a teller at each of them. There must have been over 200 crowded in this room, some filling in forms and most others queueing at the windows, where do I go, what do I do ?.... I have my passport and money so I obviously need to fill in a form with my details, where do I get this form as there is no signs at all !! There is one empty window so I ask there.... I struck gold as he gave me a form... fill it in and take it to window 24... great stuff... so I am off and running. Finds a space on a counter and fills it in, walks to counter 24 and am told I need copies of my passport... there is a photocopier there with someone grabbing passports and copying pages from them, I do the same, cost is 4p... back to window 24.

I wait at this window with about 5 people in front of me, not too bad me thinks, their is a guy about my age from Newcastle just in front of me, we got talking, he is here for 3 months but he is lucky as he has a Filipino girlfriend with him that was doing all the talking and getting things done for him, and she was soooooooo beautiful, spoke perfect English and her uncle is in the NBI... so he was a very lucky man, I thought so anyway until he told me that he was robbed in Bohol in his hotel room, they got £2000 in cash and his passport.... well you can't have it all !!

Anyway he gets served so it is my turn... the teller puts a "closed" sign on the window........... NO I says... whats happening.. why didn't you say beforehand so I could join another queue, she replies " it's only for 10 mins sir"... yea right I know what the Filipino 10 mins means. Anyway all the other queues are big and I didn't know which one to go to so I thought I best to wait here in case it is only 10 mins, others were waiting along with me. 10 mins passes, 15.. then 20.. I knew it !! anyway some official in the room says to us that we best to go to this other queue, I complain and say this is unfair, lo and behold he puts me at the front of this queue, the other people in this queue didn't complain. I gets seen, the clerk takes all my forms photocopies etc and then returns them to me with a bill to pay, he says go this other desk, pay the bill and return to this queue. OK so I do, I wait in another queue to pay, the bill says 2550 pesos, it's a bit expensive as my visa is only for 1 month ths time not the usual 2. But I just want out of this place... the tension is irritating me.

It comes to my turn, 3550 pesos he says, I say but the bill says 2550 pesos, he hands me another bill that says 1000pesos this has been attached to my original bill, I look at it, it is a "express" fee, now what the express fee is about no-one has ever known but I do know that it is always charged but it is always 500 pesos so I ask why the difference of another 500 pesos. Can you believe it, 500p is for the express fee and the other 500p is for a certificate to say that you paid the 500p express fee !!!
Only in the Philippines.. I protested but the teller said if I want to complain I would have to join another queue.... no thanks so I just paid very grudgingly.

I then join the first queue again as I have paid so I have to show him the payment slip before he can officially stamp the visa in my passport. My turn comes and he takes all my documents and passport, after a few mins he says "10am tomorrow".... what do you mean, he says come back tomorrow after 10am to collect your passport.... WHAT.. I thought I paid an express fee to get it... well.... express (quickly)!!! No you have to come back !!! Give me strength.

I walks outside and stands there for a few mins. I have paid 300pesos in a cab to get here and return home, I have stood in queues that have made me feel so stressed, I was perspiring the same as everyone else as the room had no aircon, I paid 3550 pesos for a 1 month visa when it is cheaper for a 2 month one, I have to come back tomorrow and pay another 300 pesos for my cab and then wait in another queue to get my passport !!
I did this all as I didn't want to pay a bribe to the fixers at BI, I should have paid the fixers their 1000pesos, at least with them you get your passport in completed in 30 mins while you wait in a nice quiet non stressful area.
To save not paying that 1000p bribe(it may have been cheaper because of only being for 1 month) I have spent hours in a very stressful room, paid more than I should and I have to return tomorrow whilst paying another 300p for the cab and more of my time.

Moral of this story is that I wasn't as clever as I thought I was by not paying the bribe... although I was morally right to do so.

Do you know that the fee for the 2 months is NEVER the same, you would think that it would be a standard charge, it never is, I have spoken to many foreigners on websites and you never know how much you will be charged it all depends on the teller that does your application... the teller that I used also had a sign on his window that said " exact money only".... this is a bit difficult when you never know how much it is going to be.

Beaurocracy in a 3rd world country is amazing to watch and experience, even I could organize the visa section into a customer friendly and more efficient place than it is, Filipino officials couldn't organise the proverbial p--- up in a brewery.

Hope you all have a nice day.. I am returning to get my passport in 2 hours (it's now Tueady)... wish me luck.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Gerard,

As you say they couldnt organise a p... up in a brewery. Why are there so many people getting visas?

I would lose my head if they treated me like that, next time if there is a next time just pay the bribe, everyone else must do it. That was some bite out of your bum.

Hope you get your visa today, you should get it in about 2 hours , am I psychic or not(I am the 7th child of a 7th child)

What is the temp just now, does it get a lot warmer.

I hope you have a good day.

Lots of love

Anne xxxxxxxxxxx

Anonymous said...

Have still been reading your Blogg most days, I am glad you are getting a little bit stressed its good for you. We have been busy as usual working 8.30 to 6.00 then Sat and Sun at the house. Ive not even had a chance to ring anyone lately. Have you looked into buying anywhere or have you given up on that idea. Will speak to you soon Love Jan

gerry said...

There are foreigners like me getting their visas extended but most are filipinos getting visas to go abroad, there are also other types that I'm not sure about.
You wouldn't lose your head really because there is nothing you can do about it.
No Filipinos don't pay the bribes it's only foreigners, Filipinos don't mind the waiting game for anything it's in their nature.
I thought it was the 7th SON of a 7th SON !!
The temp today was 90* and the humidity was very low at 60. it didn't feel it when I was walking.

Hi Jan, I thought that you had given up visiting my site. Don't work too hard you are not as young as you used to be !!
I've given up on the idea of buying definete;y for now especially as I said before the exchange rate has dived !!
I will return home and decide my future after a little time ruminating... (no that's not breaking wind !! it means thinking)