Sad Tale Of Philippine Gf Travel To Th

[keeniau96]

Several months ago there was post of gent planning on his PH GF travelling to the LOS. Hope that went well but need to caution anybody thinking of such that there is a special Catch-22 on the Philippine side. This one got my mate here who met a girl on one of those internet matchmaking sites, got to emailing then for the past several months they were talking by Skype every day. The girl is no bimbo but a graduate nurse working as rural health service far north of Manila, about a 6-hour bus trip. They agreed on her visiting here (Phuket) for 4 weeks, and he sent her round-trip ticket (AirAsia) and just a little bit of money for the trip. No scam, real people wanting to meet. I have permission from my friend to post the following quote from his email to me about what happened.

Here's an update. She got to the airport a day early only to be told

that she had to have a personal interview before she could leave her

country. Manila is several hours away. The Thai visa thing never

came up. You recall that in mid-December she tried to get a Thai visa

in Manila and was told to come back on the 27th and wait two working

days, whatever that meant. Nobody then mentioned the Philippine

government's unpublished requirement of how to leave the Philippines.

Immigration at CRK yesterday and today said I should have known about

the personal interview requirement thought I never read anything about

it on any web site or ever heard of it.

I lost the Air Asia ticket and sent her money this afternoon with the

suggestion that she take the bus home forget it. We are still sending

emails and it is sad, but I am at an end with dealing with her

country's unpublished, arbitrary laws and decisions. I have no plans

to ever visit the Philippines again.

[Mario2008]

This is not an uncommon story. The philippines is very strict about young unmarried girls traveling abroad, to prevent them falling in the wrong hands.

[dddave]

And I have to add that even the most cursory of Google searches would have revealed the issue as it is frequently discussed and well known. It certainly is well known among Philippinas. I find the girlfriends denial of knowledge suspicious.

[KHR1010]

It is an unfortunate experience for your friend. But to say that these rules and laws are unpublished is silly, he is taking the roll of a victim when the onus of responsibility was on him. Stories the same as his are all over the net and he should have done a bit of due diligence prior, could have saved a lot of heartache.

Edited January 31, 2013 by KHR1010

[simple1]

This is not an uncommon story. The philippines is very strict about young unmarried girls traveling abroad, to prevent them falling in the wrong hands.

Filipino passport holders are eligible for a 30 day tourist visa exemption on arrival in Thailand, so why did your friend ask his GF to apply for a visa in Manilla?

[moe666]

The Philippines is a pain in the ass for Philippinos to travel while there last year read several stories in the Manila Star about people including men who were refused permission to travel even though they had all of the required permission and everything signed off. One guy was a professor going to the middleeast to give a presentation. When he went thru immigation at the airport he was denied permission to leave because dangerous country. He eventually booked a flight to Hong Kong then to his destination of course two days late.

[PattayaPhom]

Are the laws in place as they really do care about their citezens..or just another way of getting kickbacks....

[54321]

At the risk of sounding unsympathetic, she was denied travel to see someone she had never met in person, I wonder why? She had an interview and was asked why she was going to Thailand- to meet someone in person that she had never met before, red flag.

to quote your friend "I have no plans

to ever visit the Philippines again.", perhaps he should have visited her in the Phillippines first and then she may have had a better chance of visiting Thailand.

[LburtonL]

At the risk of sounding unsympathetic, she was denied travel to see someone she had never met in person, I wonder why? She had an interview and was asked why she was going to Thailand- to meet someone in person that she had never met before, red flag.

to quote your friend "I have no plans

to ever visit the Philippines again.", perhaps he should have visited her in the Phillippines first and then she may have had a better chance of visiting Thailand.

this ...

sorry but your friend doesn't look really serious/intelligent.... no offense

[Chivas]

And I have to add that even the most cursory of Google searches would have revealed the issue as it is frequently discussed and well known. It certainly is well known among Philippinas. I find the girlfriends denial of knowledge suspicious.

I disagree......

I had no idea that this particular issue existed and I suspect many others likewise.....??

[Hedghog]

Why didn't he just go to her?

[jamhar]

man some of you out there are HARSH.

I dont think he's looking for sympathy. Its not even to OP that he's writing about.

He's also not asking for advise, from what i can tell.

All i can see that he did was to give a general "heads up" to the forum

in hopes of helping someone avoid a similar mistake.

As my mentor once told me "No good deed goes unpunished!" lol

Edited January 31, 2013 by jamhar

[aarn]

I had not-dissimilar probs trying to bring Cambo GF to aussie in the 2000s, three times.

No probs with Cambo (apart from tea-monies), BIG probs with aussie side, and of course big $AUD required.

As Hedghog says above, you really have to drop everything and sort this stuff on the ground.

Great excuse to quit some boring-as-<deleted> job in farang-land and get back in the heat. AA

[lopburi3]

This is not the same issue as entry into another country - it is the government of the Philippines preventing travel of there citizens that they suspect may have been duped until they have attended a formal briefing session explaining what has happened to travelers in the past.

[noob7]

This is not an uncommon story. The philippines is very strict about young unmarried girls traveling abroad, to prevent them falling in the wrong hands.

And that is totally right! Keepin 'em for Angeles City, that brings a lot more money to the Phils. And also it will go more of the money into the right pockets!

[anon210]

And I have to add that even the most cursory of Google searches would have revealed the issue as it is frequently discussed and well known. It certainly is well known among Philippinas. I find the girlfriends denial of knowledge suspicious.

I disagree......

I had no idea that this particular issue existed and I suspect many others likewise.....??

Actually, I took once my present wife on a trip to Hong Kong. Because she was with me, there were no issues whatsoever at the airport.

Nevertheless, when she tried to travel to Thailand by herself (we were not yet married), there was a stringent exam at the airport to check if she was fallen prey to traffickers. And by her own assessment, there was at least one girl who had no valid explanation for her travel. So those checks aim at protecting the ladies.

[TommoPhysicist]

Written letter from you (bf) to Philippine Immigration officer (in gfs hand), explaining reason for visit, including your phone number usually works. They will phone you to confirm the letter is genuine.

[JeffreyMcCollum]

Had several friends travel from PI to Thailand to visit. However,the smartest thing to do would have been go there first to see how they get along. If all went well, then invite her here to see how things go here.

But there are those who marry bar girls after 1 night and farang who buy homes for their new girlfriends after just days or weeks and I wouldn't do that either

[soulboymark]

sad story but why even date a filipina who lives in Philippines when Thailand is awash with them?

[palusa]

And I have to add that even the most cursory of Google searches would have revealed the issue as it is frequently discussed and well known. It certainly is well known among Philippinas. I find the girlfriends denial of knowledge suspicious.

Well that was a helpful contribution.

I have just googled " What checks does a Philippina lady require to take before leaving for another country" and got NO absoloute ZILTCH referals to this situation or a related published regulation. Maybe my "cursory" button didnt work properly.

[Honkie]

sad story but why even date a filipina who lives in Philippines when Thailand is awash with them?

Thailand is awashed with Filipinas ???

[simple1]

And I have to add that even the most cursory of Google searches would have revealed the issue as it is frequently discussed and well known. It certainly is well known among Philippinas. I find the girlfriends denial of knowledge suspicious.

Well that was a helpful contribution.

I have just googled " What checks does a Philippina lady require to take before leaving for another country" and got NO absoloute ZILTCH referals to this situation or a related published regulation. Maybe my "cursory" button didnt work properly.

I just googled your quote & as an example I have provided below two URLs that were presented:

http://www.expat-blog.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=161313

http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1252&Itemid=103

[lopburi3]

And below is the portion of concern from second (official) link and current as of January 2012:

2. Secondary Inspection

2.1 The Bureau of Immigration shall conduct a secondary inspection of a traveler, when deemed necessary, for the purpose of protecting vulnerable victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment and other related offenses, through the assessment of the following circumstances:

a) Age

b ) Educational attainment

c) Financial capability to travel

i. If not financially capable to travel, an authenticated affidavit of support, indicating therein the relationship within the 4th civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, together with the supporting documents, may be entertained; and

ii. An affidavit of undertaking/ guaranty may likewise be entertained.

2.2 Any passenger/traveler who will be subjected for secondary inspection shall be required to accomplish the Bureau of Immigration Border Control Questionnaire (BCQ) to be furnished by the Immigration Officer.

2.3 However, the following shall automatically be subjected to secondary inspection:

a) Travelers without financial capacity to travel escorted/accompanied by a foreigner who is not related;

b )Minor traveling alone or unaccompanied by either parent or legal guardian without the required travel clearance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD);

c) Repatriated irregular workers, in which case, travel may not be allowed without the clearance from the IACAT (generate data);

d) Partners and spouses of foreign nationals intending to depart to meet and/or marry his/her fiancé without the CFO Guidance and Counseling Certificate;

e) Passengers traveling to counties with existing deployment bans, alert levels and travel advisories and those in possession of a visas to the said countries; and

f) Passengers who stayed abroad for more than one (1) year during a previous departure from the country as a tourist/temporary visitor, intending to depart for the second and/or subsequent time.

2.4 Clarificatory questions may be propounded relating to the above-mentioned documents/purpose by the Bureau of Immigration.

2.5 A traveler found to be misrepresenting the purpose of his/her travel as tourist shall not be cleared for departure.

[noob7]

sad story but why even date a filipina who lives in Philippines when Thailand is awash with them?

Internet dating, maybe?

Thailand is awashed with Filipinas ???

Yes, indeed. Most lady singer in tourist areas are (like the band) from the Phils. Also a lot of the live in maids are from the Phils,

These days, almost 50% of the visa runners are from the Phils.

And over 50% of them are females.

They are only not so easy to 'target'. Even if the requirements are about the same, like for a young thai gf, you have to met them, first.

So it's about 'normal' trying, not like the usual 'hansome man, where you go' speed dating.

Edited February 1, 2013 by noob7

[BlackPuddingBertha]

The RP government likes to make out that it is "protecting" its citizens but the truth, as usual, isn't quite what the government says.

The RP government has stringent checks on its citizens who want to leave the country mainly in order to stop people working overseas without having gone through the proper local recruitment channels (and paid the proper taxes) inside the RP. There are also rules about sending money from wages back and if the jobs are not obtained via the "proper" channels then the government has trouble collecting all the revenue it feels it is owed. This is the primary reason for these checks: money.

A secondary objective is to ensure that these people, if they are just tourists and wont be working, dont run out of money and become a financial drain on the local RP consulate. So money too.

A tertiary objective is protecting the people from being trafficked and maintaining a good international profile.

[simple1]

The RP government likes to make out that it is "protecting" its citizens but the truth, as usual, isn't quite what the government says.

The RP government has stringent checks on its citizens who want to leave the country mainly in order to stop people working overseas without having gone through the proper local recruitment channels (and paid the proper taxes) inside the RP. There are also rules about sending money from wages back and if the jobs are not obtained via the "proper" channels then the government has trouble collecting all the revenue it feels it is owed. This is the primary reason for these checks: money.

A secondary objective is to ensure that these people, if they are just tourists and wont be working, dont run out of money and become a financial drain on the local RP consulate. So money too.

A tertiary objective is protecting the people from being trafficked and maintaining a good international profile.

Philippine government does provide proactive services for it's nationals intending to move overseas which in my mind is a good governance. Many years ago I sponsored a Filipino women to my home country and I remember she had to attend a briefing session on the country, her rights etc, Overview of support welfare/support services at

http://www.owwa.gov.ph:8080/wcmqs/programs_services/

Remittances from oversea Philippine nationals is extraordinary and represents 13.5% of GDP. Remittances through official channels in 2011 US$21 billion, unofficial channels estimated to be around 30% higher, more detail at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Filipino